![]() The festival also extends to the graves of the deceased in several cemeteries in rural areas throughout Mexico. Next to their loved ones’ photographs, they place offerings such as the “bread of the dead,” their favorite fruit, drink, and other things the person enjoyed in life. In Mexico, families observe the Day of the Dead by decorating the houses of the deceased with colorful altars. Laughing in the Face of Deathįor some, it may seem a bit strange to pay tribute to the memory of those who are no longer with us amid such a joyful time of year and with such joyful celebration. The traditional festival also had its heyday in Ireland, where it is customary to carve pumpkins to use as lamps, also known as “Jack O’Lantern. Halloween had its first mention in the 16th century as a derivation of the expression “All Hallows Eve”, (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) reaching the United States in the mid-19th century. ![]() But the festivity originated almost 700 years before the creation of Halloween, and the commemoration date was included in the Catholic calendar by order of Pope Gregory IV. The feast of All Saints, celebrated on November 1, was officially established by Pope Boniface IV in order to honor all the saints at one time. Originally, neither had to do with the other.Ī pagan celebration resulting from Christian syncretism and the Celtic festival of Samhain, Halloween was first established to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter every October 31st. But the proximity of the dates of Halloween and Día de Los Muertos is a mere coincidence. Mysterious CoincidenceĪ few weeks ago, families gathered together to celebrate two fall-favorite holidays. The door remains open only until November 2, the Day of The Dead, when the spirit returns to the afterlife. Such traditions go back thousands of years to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, where some of the earliest rituals honoring the dead began to take shape.Īccording to tradition, when the door of heaven opens at midnight on October 31, the soul of a deceased person may interact with their loved ones on Earth. Throughout history, some have even put that question to practice-creating tradition out of mystery. Many still wonder if there is life after death.
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