The Day of the Dead (El día de los muertos) is a very important holiday in Mexico and has been for many years. It is a time to remember loved ones who have passed away and be with your family and friends. There are many traditions carried during the holiday that make it as special as it is. It is also a history-rich event. Originally, el día de los muertos was celebrated in Mexico on October 31. (It is not the same thing as Halloween.) However, once the Spanish started migrating things changed a bit. The Catholics especially did not like the pagan nature of the holiday and therefore tried to rid of it completely by changing the date to November 1st and 2nd and changing the name to All Saints’ Day. However, the holiday continued and is celebrated to this day. …show more content…
In contradiction to Halloween, it is not a scary holiday and instead focuses on remembering those who have died with love and respect. On the first day (November 1) all the spirits of children who died come back and are remembered. The next day everyone else is celebrated. The living prepare their homes and towns for the return of the dead on October 31st. There are many other things traditionally done to honor the dead and enjoy the holiday.
Many foods are made for day of the dead. That includes pan de los muertos (dead bread) which is a slightly sweeter version of sandwich bread and is sometimes decorated with pieces that look like skulls and bones. Additionally, there are sugar skulls. These are essentially sugar cubes carved into the shape of a skull and occasionally garnished with food coloring. Several other traditional Mexican foods are enjoyed throughout the two
To better understand the history of the two holidays, we should look at where it all first began. An ancient Celtic festival of Samhain about 2,000 years ago was when Halloween was first created. This celebration took place on October 31st and it marked the end of summer, the harvest and the beginning of winter. During this time, winter resembled a cold and dark time which was often
Día de los Muertos Dia de los Muertos is the Day of the Dead, which is celebrated in Central and Southern Mexico during November first and second. The purpose of this holiday honor spiritually departed loved ones. According to Niu.edu, it is believed that on October 31st the spirits of angels are let down to Earth from Heaven to visit their living friends and families, they do not depart back to Heaven until November 2nd. Most hispanic citizens celebrate this day by decorating cemeteries with candy, flowers, skulls, parades and more. To celebrate, families make platforms and offerings of food such as Pan de Muertos (Sweet rolls) shaped in skulls and other figures.
Because of the indifference of beliefs between the Spanish conquistadors and the Aztecs, the conquistadors tried to force their own Catholic faith on the Aztecs. The Spanish considered the rituals of the Aztecs to be disrespectful and sacrilegious. They tried to suppress and eventually stop the Dia de los Muertos ritual, but it would not die. Since there was nothing the Spaniards could do to get rid of the ritual, they moved the date of the celebration to coincide with their own Catholic holidays for honoring the dead: All Saint’s Day and All Souls’ Day.
Dia de los Muertos and Halloween can often be confused because they are celebrated within very close dates, but in reality they have distinct characteristics. Dia de los Muertos was originally introduced in Mexico with the Aztec Festival of the Dead, but the traditions have been tweaked over the years. Likewise, Halloween originated in Ireland, beginning with the Celtic Festival called “Samhain”. Now, the popular holiday, Day of the Dead, is celebrated from October 31st through November 2nd by visiting the graves of dead friends or family members. People who participate in Dia de los Muertos leave food, candles, incense, a poem, or a picture at the altar to honor the past lives of people they love.
Aside from being depicted in Mesoamerican artwork, the concept of death in Mexico also tells the story of the imposition of Catholicism on Mesoamerican civilizations during colonial Mexico. Artwork during this time period illustrates images of death, such as a deceased nun, a masked death, devil and devil dancers, and ancient decorated skulls (Carmichael and Slayer 1992, 36). According to Stanley Brandes, scholars often have a difficult time minimizing the role of the Zapotec natives while simultaneously emphasizing on the European origins of the Day of the Dead holiday. Much of the pre-Columbian antecedents steams from the iconography of ancient civilizations living throughout Mesoamerica. This includes its huge amounts of skulls and skeletons during the modern Day of the Dead rituals as well as the variations of the meaning of the skeletal depictions as it differs from region to region.
Dia de los Muertos is very different from Halloween because of the way they celebrate, the way they decorate, and its culture and origin. They may seem similar from the outside, but as you learn about them you thinking might change. Another way they’re different is the way they celebrate is because on Dia de los muertos it is celebrated all throughout the day into the night and in America Halloween is only celebrated during the night time. Dia de los Muertos is a celebrated as a celebration of life not death for them and for us Halloween is a fun reason to get free candy. You also get to dress up and go around with your friends.
That day we eat tamales and atole. It is a Good time with the family. In November 30 or around December 5 we do some thing that it is call Rasca de reyes. It is a bread that Have a little baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family,fleeing from King Herod. In my culture , if a person get one they are reponsibility of hosting a dinner and providing tamales and atole to the guests.
BING!........BANG!...... BOOM!.The exploding lights of fireworks set off as the celebration of Carnival takes place in Mexico. Some say that Mexico is one of the most unique countries in the world with their bright colors and marvelous festivals. My heritage country affects my life now in many ways. I connect through traditions,food and lifestyle.
The Spaniards who invaded Mexico tried to eliminate this seemingly offensive month-long holiday with no success. Dia de los Muertos was eventually merged with the Catholic All-Saints day
Both Columbus Day and Dia de la Raza are celebrated on October 12. The two of these holidays, although celebrated in different parts of the world, celebrate and commemorate the discovery of America, or the Americas. Columbus Day (or in some places know as Native American Day) is celebrated in English speaking countries. Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the United States of America to celebrate the discovery of America, and to honor Christopher Columbus, who “discovered” the Americas. Some schools take Columbus Day off, but some don’t.
Halloween and Day of the Dead, despite their similarities, are very different. They are similar because they both have sugary treats and they are different because they are celebrated in different ways, and the preparation of the holidays are different. Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in Mexico, and Central America where people celebrate their ancestors souls and bring them some of their favorite things to their graves and throw many parties. Halloween is a day when children go out in costumes to trick-or-treat for candies and other sugary items, people also setup decorations outside their houses that look go along with the holiday.
El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration, is a day to celebrate, remember and prepare special foods in honor of those who have departed. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy Calaveras, and parades. It is believed that the spirit of the dead visit their families on October 31 leave on November 2. In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl (also spelled zempasuchil) and most importantly a photo of the departed soul are placed on the altar.
However, there is a distinct difference between the two holidays. In America, Halloween has shifted from focusing on death to focusing on trick-or-treating. The Day of the Dead celebrates the fact that death does not destroy the unity between those alive and those dead. While both celebrate with dressing up, eating with loved ones, and spending time with family, they gather for vey different reasons. In keeping with their culture, Americans celebrate being with those still alive, while Mexicans include deceased individuals in their
There are many important foods associated with Day of the Dead. The main dish is typically mole, which consists of meat (usually chicken or pork) cooked with a sauce made from chilies, chocolate, peanuts, and other ingredients that vary by region. Pumpkin candies, rice pudding, and tamales may also be offered. Bakeries produce special bread called pan de muerto (bread of the dead) in the shape of people or bones, decorated with pink or colorful sugar. Candy stores also sell skulls made of sugar or chocolate, adorned with names, for both children and adults to
It is a day that is set aside to remember and honor those who have died, according to the University of New Mexico. That day represents the day before Lent and is celebrated as well. Another notable day is September 16th, which marks Cinco de Mayo the day the Mexican Military had a victory over the French in 1862. Cinco de Mayo is also celebrated in the United States more than it is in Mexico.