Día de los Muertos

 

Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous cultures. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500 - 3,000 years. In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. The festival that became modern Día de los Muertos fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the god known as the "Lady of the Dead" corresponding to the modern Catrina. In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors childresn and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as Día de Los Inocentes but also as Los Angelitos and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or Dia de los Difuntos.

 

 

 

 

"Mexican Halloween" Myth

 

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Cewlts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France celebrated their New Years on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was belieed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the prescene of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.