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Halloween ethnography
Halloween ethnography
The perception of people toward halloween
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Halloween Everybody celebrates Halloween, but some people might celebrate the spooky holiday in a variety of ways. Most people celebrate this holiday by going door to door asking the greeters for candy while in their costumes. Others may see the night as an advantage to play pranks on others or even to create public haunted houses or haunted trails. For people that like to hold public events, they may create costume parties. For those that are either lazy or they just don’t want to participate in the events, they may spend the night by staying in their houses and doing an activity of their own. Most do not know this, but Halloween was originally a holiday to honor loved ones who passed. Back then, Halloween was originally known as Samhain. …show more content…
For example, Czechoslovakia celebrates by placing chairs by the fireside, for they are for both the living and spirits of those who passed. Japan celebrates very differently. They prepare special foods and decorate the room with bright red lanterns. For the lanterns unused, they were thrown ashore rivers and seas to honor loved ones who passed. But some other countries, like France, celebrate just like the U.S. (2). Haunted houses may not be worldwide, but they are one of the biggest traditions of American Halloween. Even though they are famous, their history is very little known. It started in 1802, when a British sculptor known as Marie Tussaud sculpted wax figures of decapitated French figures. She showed her grotesque creations to the public, resulting in frightened British audiences. She also created death masks of the French Revolution’s many guillotine victims. Marie set up a London exhibition known as the “Chamber of Horrors.” When Tussaud’s collection gained more popularity, the public thirst for horror increased (3). In conclusion, Halloween is celebrated worldwide, but some countries celebrate it differently. Most celebrate by honoring the dead in some way. Some celebrate like the U.S. But we all celebrate the holiday in some
Late autumn has arrived and with it comes the dark magic of Halloween--and, of course, the
In digging the day of the dead a distinction between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween is made, the purpose, to highlight the differences and showing the importance and significance of Dia de los Muertos. This ethnography begins by loosely describing Halloween in American culture, it is described as a day where “children dress up as grotesque corpses” and a celebration empty of historic or cultural significance and knowledge. The author Juanita Garciagodoy, later goes on to describe Dia de los Muertos in a romanticized way, by statin that the dead “are not forgotten or excluded from recollections, prayer, or holidays because they are no longer visible” Garciagodoy then goes on to tell a heartfelt story about a couple one holding on to tradition,
It is a loving ritual, full of joy and remembrance. For those who did not grow up in a culture that celebrates such a celebration, these practices and rituals might seem odd. But bear in mind that in the US, it is common for people to visit the graves of their family members and friends who have left this earth, to leave flowers and to reconnect with their loved ones. Dia de los Muertos is similar to this common American practice, so you can see that the Day of the Dead is not that unusual. Dia de los Muertos allows the dead to live again. During this time it is believed that the deceased return to their earthly homes to visit and rejoice with their loved ones. The Days of the Dead are celebrated as a way of retaining connections with the unseen world a world we will all return to one
Halloween is originated from Ireland, and Day of the Dead was started in Mexico. During Halloween, people usually have various types of candies. Kinds of candies include chocolate, caramels, sugar candies, gummy candies, and much more. On Day of the Dead, Calaveras and pan de los muertos is served, along with many other candies in shapes of coffins, skulls, and skeletons. The symbol for Halloween is the classic jack o’ lantern. Back in the Middle Ages, ritual harvest festival in Welsh, Irish and Gaelic cultures. They were used to guide trick or treaters through the night and keep way evil spirits. Not all the jack o’ lanterns were pumpkins. Some were made out of radishes or squash. The symbol Day of the Dead is the classic skull or skeleton. If you went to a Day of the Dead celebration, you would see happy skeletons on display practically everywhere across city streets. Another important symbol of the Day of the dead is the marigold flower. It is said that the flower draws back to souls of the dead and leads item to the homes of their families. Believe it or not, Halloween is a holiday that is nearly 1300 years old, and it originates from Welsh and Gaelic cultures. It was a holiday evolved from the Samhain, an ancient Celtic holiday. This was a time where the harvests were collected for the winter, and it was believed that since winter was approaching, it would allow the souls of the dead to breach tohe world of the living.
Foreigners have more trouble understanding Dia de Los Muertos than any of Mexico's other celebrations. At first glance, they see Day of the Dead decorations which are colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skulls inscribed with names, which remind them of Halloween. Other tourists discover that much like Memorial or Remembrance Day in the US, families here visit, clean and decorate graves of loved ones for the November 1 and 2 holidays. Many families honor their ancestors and dead with different traditions, which I will be telling u about.
El Dia de los Muertos was brought to the United States when Mexican-Americans underwent a cultural reawakening in the early 1970s. The holiday's popularity has since spread to other races and cultures. The Day of the Dead celebrates life past and present, and not just death alone. Revelers construct ofrendas, the offerings of food, drinks, cigarettes, toys, and candy, set out for returning souls. Revelers take joy in honoring the dead, usually with music, dancing, crafts and food.
Special foods such as candy, breads, and buns, they are often baked in the shapes of skulls with icing. The use of puppets and masks are very popular as well. The belief that family members who have died will return to their gravesite that is why the flowers and gifts are placed there. The warm social environment the colorful setting, and the abundance of food, drinks and good company are the ceremony of the dead. It has pleasant overtones for most observers.
Mexicans and Venezuelans celebrate Halloween very differently; to the extent, some Venezuelans do not even celebrate the holiday. Mexicans celebrates Day of the Dead instead of Halloween. During Day of the Dead, Mexicans build altars and fill it with desserts, tamales and candy for their passed loved ones, and decorate and clean their graves. These altars are made specifically as a welcoming to the loved ones who passed away. People are sometimes welcomed to visit other’s families’ altars and take part in any of the goodies or stories involved. Some Pueblos or communities, they gathered food from different altars and enjoy the food at their loved one’s grave. Day of the Dead is much similar to Halloween, but contain much more meaning and spirit. We celebrate this holiday to remember our loved ones; not in a weeping sense, more over into a joyous sense. We only talk about the good and special times we had with that individual. People tell each other’s stories and thoughts of the dead to let them know we still remember their presence. On the other hand, in some communities in Venezuelans celebrate Halloween exactly how Americans do, but...
When I learned that I would have to do my ethnographic report on what I did during Halloween, I was worried because I live in Turnpike and the most excitement that happens in turnpike is the sound of the garbage truck when it comes to pick up the Wednesday trash. Fortunately something did happen to me and I realized I would not have to write a boring paper of how I woke up and just stayed in my room the whole day. Well the day started off with me waking up and walking to the bathroom to take a shower, as soon as the turned the water on I realized I had left my shower and rather than turning off my shower I stayed in because the warmth of the hot water was too seductive for me to get out and get my towel. In the shower I had my usual thoughts about life, death, and comebacks to old arguments. Afterword I got out of my shower and reached for my toothbrush, which was located in a cupboard behind the toilet, but I grabbed at it too quickly and it fell in the toilet. I stood over my toilet for about five minutes just staring at my toothbrush in the toilet not believing what just happened, after that I started blaming myself for being too impatient. When I was done feeling sorry for myself I went into my room in search of another toothbrush but unluckily I couldn’t find one, so I had to go walk to the local store at around 7:30 in search of a toothbrush. While searching for a replacement toothbrush I realized that not that many people were in the store, I had always thought that stores were busiest in the morning and evening but apparently that’s not true. Once I got my new toothbrush I finished brushing, got dressed and went to catch the 11 to the Transit Center.
First things first, let’s talk about the food! On The Day of The Dead, the Mexicans who celebrate this holiday eat many things including something called ‘el pan de muerto.” This round, sweet bread is essential when celebrating the day of the dead. Another dish eaten is something called mole. This is a spicy chocolate sauce that is eaten on this holiday or even on a normal day. Onto Halloween, this holiday is mainly celebrated in America and involves lots of sweets that children eat. Nothing on this holiday is homemade and everything thing is
In Brazil, the Catholic Church celebrates O Dia dos Finado, (The Day of the Dead), on November 2nd. On November 1st, they celebrate the day of All Saint’s, which is a moment to rejoice all the saints known or unknown. The Brazilian people during the Day of the Dead, basically have the same rituals of going to the cemetery and putting flowers in the graveyards of the loved ones. However, they do not decorate skulls with the name of the defunct on the forehead. It is more a day to morn and regret the loss of the person that parted to the other side of life. Also it is a day, to remember and talk about how important that person was and how much she/he is missed (Wikipédia, 2016).
Day of the dead is mainly celebrated in homes and graveyards. But as the years pass this celebration expands more. From street parties, festivals, and parades. It has also expanded to different countries than just Mexico, such as more of South America and even in the United States. As people migrated to different places throughout the years their traditions did as well. For example Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles holds an annual
Halloween was not supposed to be like that, it was supposed to be more like when I was a kid. Houses would be decorated, jack-o-lanterns would be sitting near doors, and
Halloween is celebrated on 31st October every year to remember the dead. Children as well as grown ups celebrate this day bydressing in disguise. As it is a day to remember the dead, the costumes are made mostly to make scary impression. Ghosts, spiders, Vampires, bats, skeletons,witches, owls... to name a few. Ones you have decided the scary appearance that you are going to sport that evening, You will need either of the followingornaments to complete your look:Before starting to choose from the jewelry, You should keep in mind that halloween stands for darkness. Hence choose dark ornaments in shade of black, copper or bloodred... EARRINGS: To start up with your face, you can wear hang on earrings in the design of spiders, skulls, vampires, pumpkins,bones, bats... It depends on the outfit your are wearing.For ex: If you are dressed as a spiderwoman You can go with the spider earrings. If a pirate, go with the bones or skulls.EAR CUFFS: They are very fashionable. You will make a pretty entry. They are available in all designs.. Dragons, spiders,skulls, vampires...NECKWEAR: These are available in many designs, Long and short both. Both are equally good. Ghost pattern necklaces are in particular very suited for every outfit. Also available in spider, skull, vampire,pumpkin patterns...FINGER RINGS:This is the best time where you can wear any number of rings you want to! Can also not leave a single area uncovered. They are available in all patterns, spiders, skulls, ghosts...BRACELETS:Exquisite bracelets are very trendy. I personally feel, one should go with multi bracelets with all the halloween signifying objects.Or can wear a single bracelet with many objects hanging from it, like the skull, vampire, ghost etc... HAIR CLIPS: While...
The Chinese New Year is fifteen days long and each day involves a different custom based off of a different ideology such as cleaning your house will wipe away the bad luck of the preceding year. Halloween although originating in Ireland, was carried to other countries and is now often seen as an equivalent to the popular Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico. Although, Day of the Dead is about celebrating dead loved ones, the act of dressing up in costumes happens in both celebrations. Halloween follows the ideology that children dress up in costumes and go collect candy from people’s houses whereas day of the dead is centered around the ideology that for one night dead loved ones can be reunited with their families. Easter and the popular Jewish holiday Passover are often seen as the same thing because they fall around the same thing and both celebrate spring. All around the world countries celebrate independence days that are on different days but they all represent relatively the same thing. But, different countries hold different ideologies for their independence days. For