Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

31 oct 2011

Día de los difuntos vs. Halloween (Spain)

In Spain there are lots of celebration days by Saints, Hispanity's day, Worker's day, Constitution's day, and a lond etc.

Well, returning to some few years, we just only were celebrating the "all deceases' day" (as a literal translation, because in spanish is "Día de los difuntos"), leaving out the foreign celebration as well as Halloween... But now, as spanish people we are, we added this one too!! Yess, because we want another excuse to celebrate another thing too! Who is the main favoured in this kind of foreign celebration? The firms, the great companies like "El Corte Inglés", "Carrefour" and the little but international firms...

As everybody knows, Spain is living a great crisis as never seen before, and this situation of unemployment created by banks and millionaries is not suitable to increase the Capitalism mouth. Why we should adopt habits that are not related to our history or traditions? I agree with the point of view people should be updated in this times, but I think it does not mean to take it as our.

Where did Halloween born? What does Halloween mean?

The origins of Halloween belongs to a celtic festivity called Samhain whose meaning is "the end of Summer" (the term is Irish). They celebrated the harvest end and the celtic new year, beginning the dark period. They believed the spirits come around them, good and bad ones, and they honored their family, friends and animal spirits and to frighten off the bad ones and demons they disguised themselves as goshts.

The term Halloween was not given until the 16th (1556) in a document, it comes from a Old English expression "All-Hallows-Even" (Even from evening).
This tradition was taken from Irland to USA during the Great Hunger in 1845-49. And it has been extended in all anglospeaker countries, and also several occidental countries.

Halloween is associated with orange and black colours and the pumking Jack-o'-lantern. Some of their famous traditions is the "trick or treat", fancy dress outfits, bonfires and horror tales...







Where did the "El Día de los Difuntos" born? What is it?

In 998, San Odilon, an abbot of a French monastery, stablished for the 2th Nov. as a day of all faithful death people in th benedic order. It was accepted by Roma in the 14th and was expanded by the critianity.

The pre-Hispanic civilizations of America also paid worship to the Death and the missionaries had to adopt some rits for the whole evangelization.

Nowadays, both continents this days are characterizied by the deceased memories and visits to cementeries, however, there are some differences between cultures, countries, traditions, etc.

The deceases' day in Spain is a reminder about who had gone and a "celebration" of who are still alive with some cakes and confectionery, even, some people buy white carnations and white candels to pray for their family or go to the church to share a mass or go to the cementery to leave fresh flowers to their deceases...


Why Halloween in Spain?

As I said in the firsts paragraphs, this is an idea from the huge companies to get more money in more times of the year celebrations. In North America, for example, they prepare this festivity two months before, and they live that differently, but in Spain we have never adopted this kind of culture and preparations for two days, we just only are looking foward to the Christmas period where you can find all kind of ornaments and adornments two months before, and after that, the Carnivals...

Why more? Why now fancy dresses when we just only disguise for carnivals? Or, why that "trick or treat" when the culture in Spain had never allow children go door by door asking for sweeties? Our children confuse the American traditions with vandalism!! And the dangers of night too!! Spain is not a "safe street" where children can go alone! This country has changed because of the great immigration we receive, different cultures coexisitng each other and without respect our real culture and manners; and also, despite that, there are lots of dangerous people who kidnaps, rapes, kills, etc.

This new "tradition" is a stupid thing for us; and is this only for children?? No way!!!!

I love Halloween ornaments because I can use them for a special party like a birthday, a friends meeting party, Carnivals, Christmas and also for having them as one more adornment in my house, but never for this celebration representing 1 and 2 of November, because it is ridicoulus...

2 comentarios:

  1. Well, in my opinion we could have learned the lesson in the post war age, where it was a huge poverty and people could even afford basic goods.

    We are acustomed to luxury, even if we can not really afford it we think that we need a big plasma TV, a fancy computer, smartphones etc... I've seen families ho just live with what they earn every month with internet, big plasma tv and every son with a laptop...

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  2. Yes Naota, that's true, a real sad true in sad times... Thanks for commenting!!

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