Cultural Explorations: Halloween and Dias De Los Muertos
Welcome to spooky season! If you’re a Halloween lover then I’m sure you’re rocking your costume, carved your pumpkin, and have been on a scary movie marathon all month. I’m also sure you’ve seen people with their faces painted like calaveras (skulls), the painted skulls from Dias de los Muertos celebrations. Calaveras are an important symbol for Hispanic cultures that celebrate Dias de los Muertos so we thought this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about these special holidays together.
Halloween grew from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain, a gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win,” was a pagan religious celebration that welcomed the end of summer harvest. To celebrate, people lit bonfires and wore costumes to fend off ghosts. Samhain transformed into Halloween when, in the eighth century, Pope Greogry III designated November 1 as All Saints Day. The evening before became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually, Halloween. All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve incorporated many of the traditions from Samhain so if you’re dressing up this year, you actually have ancient Celtic culture to thank for that. You can read more about specific Halloween traditions here.
Dias de los Muertos takes us to the other side of the world to Central America. Dias de los Muertos, or Days of the Dead, spans November 1 and 2 and celebrates life and death. Originating in Mexico, the holiday has its roots in Aztec culture. 2,500-3,000 years ago, Aztecs believed that the best way to honor lost loved ones was not to cry and mourn (which they thought disrespectful), but to celebrate their ancestors with color and joy. Death is a natural part of life, and for one day a year, dead ancestors return to the living to spend time with loved ones. Ofrendas, or altars, and bright marigold flowers help guide spirits back home at the end of the night. Read more about Dias de los Muertos here.
As you can see, Halloween and Dias de los Muertos have a critical distinction. Halloween costumes started as ways to ward off ghosts whereas Dias de los Muertos celebrations, including the recognizable colorful calaveras, honor our connections with the dead and welcome them back into our lives. Each holiday, however, brings us together in community as we gather to watch a scary movie, go out for treats with your little ones, or to set up an ofrenda for a loved one.
How are you celebrating this year? Whatever you do, I hope you remember to honor your ancestors in all the ways they continue to shape our lives today.
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