Halloween means the spooky season. From skeletons and ghosts loitering the streets, Halloween in the world is deeply associated with morbid horror.
Death is an ever-present reality in the Latino culture. This is why, Día de Los Muertos is such a widely celebrated holiday in Latino and Mexican culture. Interestingly, the day has become part of the US pop culture as well, with movies like Coco and Book of Life making it big in the mainstream media.
However, this fiesta is widely perceived as the Mexican version of Halloween when it has its own distinct identity. This misappropriation stems from the similar nature of both holidays when death is the common subject. But what Mexicans celebrate is poles apart from Halloween festivities, where dressing up and candies are an important aspect.
Let us discuss how Halloween and Día de Los Muertos are inherently different.
The Difference in Definition
Halloween is a holiday with pagan roots and is celebrated by Western Christians in mainly the US, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland. It is dedicated to celebrating dead saints and people of faith. It is hugely associated with horror and the grotesque, with Pagan people dressing up in scary costumes to ward off evil spirits. It is celebrated on November the 1st.
On the other hand, Día de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that is commonly referred to as the Day of the Dead. It has roots in the indigenous people who lived in what is now called Mexico. It is rooted in the respect of the dead and the cycle of life and death. Mexicans celebrate the memories of their dead loved ones joyously. It is celebrated on October 31st, November 1st, 2nd, and the 6th.
The Difference in History
Halloween has its origins in the pagan Celtic festival called Samhain. The early Christian church marked All Hallows Day as the Christian alternative to Samhain. People would dress up in scary costumes to stop evil spirits from entering their homes and stealing their harvest. It was brought to North America by Scottish immigrants in the 19th century. People would dress up and perform in various ways for food, money, and ale. This has evolved into what we now call trick-or-treating. Moreover, Halloween’s history in the 1920s in the US is marked by parties that ended violent acts.
Whereas, Día de Los Muertos’ history is not as clear as that of Halloween. Despite being the subject of debate among many scholars and historians, one thing is clear. It comes from the indigenous people who lived in Mexico and Central America around 3000 years ago and how they honored their dead. Death was an important part of life for them. They believed a dead soul had to travel for several years to reach the land of the dead, so they would place food for them. In the 1970s, the day was embraced as part of the Mexican culture and heritage during the Chicano movement.
The Difference in Digital Representation
Halloween is associated with the macabre and horror and is represented in the way in movies and online. Halloween season is commonly referred to as the scary season. Hence, all horror movies are usually set to release around Halloween. Similarly, it is common to see online posts of people dressed up as witches, ghosts, vampires, and serial killers on Halloween.
Moreover, hashtags like ‘spooky season’ also trend only around Halloween. Top Halloween movie picks include films like Witches, Scary Movie, Scream, etc. Moreover, it is common for streaming services and cable providers to roll out Halloween collections every year. Similarly, you can contact Spectrum en español, a cable and internet provider, to learn about their seasonal collection of movies and shows.
On the other hand, Día de Los Muertos is represented differently in the digital world. Despite being the day of the dead, it is associated with joy and happy memories of the dead. It is a celebración in true form. This positive outlook is also represented in film and social media. Families have to get together. W
e see this in movies like Coco and The Book of Life too, where death is a common theme. Despite the imagery of dead people and skulls, both movies have a positive vibe with songs and colorful costumes, where love and family come above all. Similarly, the online representation of Día de Los Muertos is also very cheerful with fascinating colors and happy vibes.
The Difference in Festivities
Halloween is celebrated by people dressing up in different costumes and partying all night. Young kids dress up and go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. People also go to Pumpkin Patches to pick pumpkins to carve Jack-o-Lanterns and put them all around their houses. Moreover, people also decorate their homes and offices for Halloween. Families also do scary movie night, where Halloween-special snacks are made and enjoyed by everyone. People also sit around bonfires and share scary stories.
On the other hand, Día de Los Muertos is celebrated in a similar yet distinct fashion. People dress up in colorful costumes and organize parades that are rife with colorful décor and music. They also set up Ofrendas in their homes. These are altars dedicated to their loved ones who have passed away. These are decorated with Marigolds, candles, and food for the dead souls. Moreover, Calaveras, which are smiling skulls, are used to decorate too. All in all, the Día de Los Muertos is a day of celebrating dead loved ones, so there is a lot of happy chatter all around.
