The Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage (and others) living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
In most regions of Mexico, November 1st honors deceased children and infants where as deceased adults are honored on November 2nd.
Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed
Some families build altars or small shrines in their homes. These altars usually have the Christian cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other persons, and scores of candles. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased
Those with writing talent sometimes create short poems, called "calaveras" ("skulls"), mocking epitaphs of friends, sometimes describing interesting habits and attitudes or some funny anecdotes.
A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (colloquially called calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for "skeleton"), and foods such as sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead. Other holiday foods include pan de muerto, a sweet egg bread made in various shapes, from plain rounds to skulls and rabbits often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year".Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted houses", carving Jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories and watching horror movies
Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Costumes are also based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from television shows, movies and other pop culture icons
Zúñiga Chávez Ana Jessica
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As we can see in the text those costums are different, the day of the dead is religious costum and halloween at first was a Celtic belief, but then it have converted into a fancy dress costum.
Mexican culture have seen more influenced by Halloween, although there are places that are very religious like Mixquic, where during november 1st and 2nd people look after their deceased. But nowdays is more common to see, specially children, with fancy dresses celebrating Halloween in those days and asking for their "calaverita". The cemeteries are fulled all day, but at night the streets are fulled of children in fancy dresses.
I don´t agree about losing our traditions, when I was a child i loved to ask for my "calaverita", but now I don´t like to see how our traditions have gone losing and how sellers take advantage of people, who buy cempasúchil flowers, fruits, sweet skulls and fancy dresses, increasing their prices.
ADRIANA CABALLERO
In my personal point of view, traditions in Mexico seem to be influenced by foreing costums, due to the process of globalization and nowadays is very common to see children asking for a "calaverita" disguised as a wiches, vampires or mumies. And even the teenagers or older people, see the 1st and 2nd of november as Halloween day, so I imagine that's not bad only if we respect our own traditions.
I belive that lots of Mexican families think that novebember 1st and 2nd, are still reamaining as "dia de los muertos" and they follow the tradition of making "ofrendas" and in many places of Mexico like Patzcuaro or Janitzio, even Mixquic the families spent all day in the graveyard in order to honor and remember their parents who have died.
Added by: Vanzetti Navarro
The day of the dead is a tradition that in Mexico was very important, i said was, because sadly now a days the children instead of asking, "May i have may skull" the say "we want Halloween". I think that´s one reason that we can see that the day of the dead lost tradition.
Some families are used to put an altar in their houses and I think that´s wonderful because they are transmitting the tradition to their sons and daughters.
I don´t now if you know the real beginning of Halloween. Well a small summary is that Halloween stated in England a long time ago. on October 31 they used to tortured the people putting some stuff in their body for a period of time, a lot of people died in those days and that´s why now Halloween is a celebration for USA Canada and England, as a remember of the dead people.
I prefer the tradition the day of the dead because you are supposed to have contact with the dead relatives and in your offering you have to put the food they were used to eat, in few word you are making your dead happy.
Jaime Córdoba Breña
This article shows us the difference that exist between the Halloween and the day of the dead. The first one is an american tradition while the second one is a mexican tradition that has existed since a long time ago. In my opinion the day of the dead is a tradition that has a deep message for those who follow it, is a serius tradition. On the other hand, halloween is more like a kind of celebration where you see many tv characters like Jason or Freddy Crueger, ghosts, witches and stuff like that, this i consider is more like a kind of party that people designed just to have fun. Unfortunately in these days the Halloween has displaced the day of the dead in Mexico, thanks to the american influence and the lack of concioussness from people.
The people in these days live in big pressure and because of that on their free times they just want to have fun or go on vacation, then the idea of halloween sounds more interesting than the idea of celebrate a calm tradition like the day of the dead.
I will finish saying that the day of the dead is a tradition that is running the danger of being suplanted by halloween really soon, we must defend and keep this tradition before it dissapear.
written by: Vega Espinosa Carlos Josafat
The traditions are very important but why? It's not enough to say because there are ours, I think it is important to think, the traditions and customs are changing constantly and sometimes we do not perceive that change.
We shouldn't judge, we need to understand the differences between cultures.
I agree with Vanzetti when he wrote "that's not bad only if we respect our own traditions". But I would change "That's not bad at all."
We can't stick to the past, the things change depending on the circumstances and we can't avoid it.
CINTHYA RODRIGUEZ
I THINK THAT ALTHOUGH IN MEXICO HAS INCREASED THE POPULARITY OF THE CELEBRATION OF HALLOWEEN THE DAY OF THE DEAD WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE PRE-HISPANICS USED TO HAD THEIR OWN TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS AND AFTER THE SPANISH CONQUEST THE DAY OF DEAD DIDN’T DISAPPEAR, INSTEAD, IT WAS ADAPTED WITH THE NEW BELIFS AND NOW THE DAY OF THE DEAD REPRESENTS A MIXTURE OF CHRISTIAN DEVOTION AND PRE-HISPANIC TRADITIONS.
BECAUSE OF THE GLOBALIZATION, THE HALLOWEEN WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT HERE IN MEXICO, AND IF WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE OUR TRADITION I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ADAPT IT WITH OTHERS CELEBRATIONS (LIKE HALLOWEEN) BUT WITHOUT LOSING ITS ESSENCE
XARHINI GARCIA
Hello Guys. I am glad you have chosen a topic that can lead to contradictory views. As I can see Vanzzety, Cinthya, and Isabel X. agree in this kind of embedded customs, where many cultures can meet and differ as a sort of "natural" evolution. Whereas the rest of you guys claim for the celebration of genuine "fiestas" sticking to the traditior as much as possible.
Some of you write better than other, why not helping each other on this? Edit (correct) your contributions before posting them.
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