Pop Culture: The Day Of The Dead

Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos in Spanish, is a traditional two day festival which originated in Mexico. During the holiday communities gather to celebrate the lives of friends and family who have passed away. This holiday which incorporates ancient indigenous rituals with Catholic beliefs focuses on welcoming back the spirits of loved ones to honor them, celebrate their lives and acknowledge ones eventual fate. Recently, however, Day of the Dead has come to be associated with Halloween, despite the various differences in beliefs and practices. The holidays growing popularity has led to the commoditization of some of the Day of the Dead icons, such as the sugar skull. This has fallen into the ever-evolving debate between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation prevalent in the pop culture world. …show more content…
Our first death occurs when one’s body ceases to function; our second death is a result of the eventual decay of one’s physical body and our final death comes when we are no longer remembered by those still alive. During day of the dead festivities the families of the deceased gather to celebrate their loved ones life and to remind them that they have not been forgotten. Families gather and travel to cemeteries to clean and decorate the tombs of their loved ones and often bring them both food and drinks, many even prepare a special type of bread known as the bread of the dead. Families play music, converse with the spirits of their loved ones and often spend the night alongside their tombs. One of the most recognized symbols for day of the dead is its use of Calaveras, or skulls. This often-dreary symbol has led many to associate day of the dead with Halloween, yet Halloween and Day of the Dead have more differences than they do