Halloween versus All Saint´s Day

These dates are two of typical celebrations in the North American region, we have seen them in different movies and series, showing us their culture and traditions. Although they share some similarities, there are big differences between both celebrations.

Halloween

Most of us surely have seen some of the movies inspired with this concept. Every October the 31st the special episode is always a must at this part of the year. But what does this celebration mean? Halloween takes place on October 31st, although it is currently a costume party where children (and adults too) eat candy, its origins are not so happy, since it comes from an ancient Celtic festival known as “Halloween Night” or “Samheim”, celebrated in Ireland, when the harvest season came to an end and the “Celtic New Year” begin.

During this festival it was believed that souls of the dead would return to visit their homes. That’s why people light their fireplace to drive away evil spirits and wear masks to avoid being recognized by ghosts. This is how fairies, witches and demons were associated with this day.

This celebration arrived in the US and Canada in 1860, but it only began to be celebrated on a massive scale in 1921 with the first Halloween festival in Minnesota.

Day of the Dead

This Mexican holiday, on the other hand, has its origins long before the arrival of the Spanish Conquerors. Pre-Columbian cultures accepted death as a part of life and coexist with this concept daily.

In Mexico, one of the main traditions is the altar of the dead, where offerings are placed to remember those who are no longer with us physically but in spirit, since according to their tradition, souls of the deceased return from the underworld. These altars, called tzompantli, consisted of rows of skulls strung through perforations made in parietal bones, which symbolized death and rebirth.

Spanish people made this festival match with the Catholic celebrations, so today the celebration of the Dead in Mexico is the result of the religious connection of these two cultures, carried out at the end of October (from the 25th to the 30th) or the beginning of November (from 1st to 3rd) according to the traditions or customs of each region of the country.

What else can you tell us about these celebrations?