Compare and Contrast:
Day of the Dead and Halloween
At the very end of October, countries around the world celebrate holidays such as El Dia de los Muertos and Halloween or traditions like them. While they have many differences depending on the customs from place to place they also have many similarities. El Dia de los Muertos, translated to “the Day of the Dead”, is a Mexican holiday that takes place from October 31st to November 2nd. It began about 3,000 years ago where rituals and sacrifices were performed by the indigenous cultures in Mexico to honor the dead. This occurred on the 9th month of the Aztec calendar and lasted the entire month. In modern times, festivals, celebrations and picnics are held to remember friends and family …show more content…
Dating back over 2,000 years ago, on November 1st, Celtic people celebrated their New Year. On the eve, it was believed spirits, fairies, demons, and other creatures walked among the living to get to the afterlife and so the Celtic’s wore costumes (likely of animal skins at the time) to avoid possession and to confuse the undead. Throughout time the holiday’s purpose has been changed from “appreciation of afterlife and survival after death” to “all in good fun” to accommodate religion and cultures of all kinds. Customs like carving Jack o’ Lanterns, decorating households for parties, door-to-door trick or treating in various themed costumes, apple-bobbing or haunted houses are common for both adults and children …show more content…
The skeleton is an iconographic image seen in both holiday traditions. Halloween depicts skeletons as scary figures the skull faces are shown as mocking and humorous. Although Halloween has become less religious over time, both festivities demonstrate a fusion of pre-Christian and Christian beliefs. They have a historical connection to the commemoration of the dead on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
El Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries. In North America- Mexico. (Arizona and Texas with high Mexican populations.) In central America- Guatemala. In South America- Ecuador, Kichwa population, Brazil, Bolivia, and the Andean population. In the Caribbean- Haiti. There are differences in place to place but the concept of celebration of the dead remains similar.
Halloween has traveled from Ireland all over the world with the traveling of the Celtic peoples conquests followed their traditions. Halloween is celebrated in North America, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, and Sweden with altered ideas here and
Day of the Dead and Halloween
At the very end of October, countries around the world celebrate holidays such as El Dia de los Muertos and Halloween or traditions like them. While they have many differences depending on the customs from place to place they also have many similarities. El Dia de los Muertos, translated to “the Day of the Dead”, is a Mexican holiday that takes place from October 31st to November 2nd. It began about 3,000 years ago where rituals and sacrifices were performed by the indigenous cultures in Mexico to honor the dead. This occurred on the 9th month of the Aztec calendar and lasted the entire month. In modern times, festivals, celebrations and picnics are held to remember friends and family …show more content…
Dating back over 2,000 years ago, on November 1st, Celtic people celebrated their New Year. On the eve, it was believed spirits, fairies, demons, and other creatures walked among the living to get to the afterlife and so the Celtic’s wore costumes (likely of animal skins at the time) to avoid possession and to confuse the undead. Throughout time the holiday’s purpose has been changed from “appreciation of afterlife and survival after death” to “all in good fun” to accommodate religion and cultures of all kinds. Customs like carving Jack o’ Lanterns, decorating households for parties, door-to-door trick or treating in various themed costumes, apple-bobbing or haunted houses are common for both adults and children …show more content…
The skeleton is an iconographic image seen in both holiday traditions. Halloween depicts skeletons as scary figures the skull faces are shown as mocking and humorous. Although Halloween has become less religious over time, both festivities demonstrate a fusion of pre-Christian and Christian beliefs. They have a historical connection to the commemoration of the dead on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
El Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries. In North America- Mexico. (Arizona and Texas with high Mexican populations.) In central America- Guatemala. In South America- Ecuador, Kichwa population, Brazil, Bolivia, and the Andean population. In the Caribbean- Haiti. There are differences in place to place but the concept of celebration of the dead remains similar.
Halloween has traveled from Ireland all over the world with the traveling of the Celtic peoples conquests followed their traditions. Halloween is celebrated in North America, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, and Sweden with altered ideas here and