In an effort to help all of us learn about the importance of El Día de Los Muertos, I want to take a minute to discuss the meaning behind this holiday. Because it is celebrated near Halloween and has many similar aspects (skulls, decor), many people misunderstand its meaning and purpose. I did not know this but this holiday is a combination of two holidays - a celebration by the Ancient Aztecs and the Spaniards. ¨Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s¨, (Day of the Dead, 2016). Therefore, this holiday has a lot of history. But the most important aspect is that it is a celebration. It is a celebration of loved ones that have passed on. These days are to remember those loved ones annually and to never forget.
As we set off on this journey to learn about this holiday, I want everyone to think about and possibly respond to the following questions:
- What holidays, if any, in the US celebrate the dead? If there are some, what is the history behind them? If not, why do you think that we don´t?
- Throughout the next two weeks, you will have the opportunity to learn a lot! What do you hope to learn? Be specific as I hope to answer all of these questions!
I don’t think that there are any holidays that originate in the United States that serve as a certain day for everyone to remember loved ones who have passed. However the U.S. is known to be the melting pot of cultures so we do have cultures in our country that have constructed these celebrations decades ago. I don't think that there is any specific reason as to why we don’t celebrate those who have passed. I think that everyone has always correlated death as something bad and it is something we grieve rather than celebrate. I am excited to learn a lot about Day of the Dead and your first hand experience. Something new that I learned and found super interesting, is how the sugar skulls are made and the environmental story behind it. The sugar skull will slowly decompose into the ground as time passes because they are really made out of sugar.
ReplyDeleteI love it! And I saw how surprised you were when you learned that as you were watching the movie! I also had not known the reason "why" they were made of sugar which I found totally fascinating!
ReplyDeleteWhile it is not celebrated in the same way as Day of the Dead, The United States does have Memorial day to remember fallen soldiers/fallen veterans. While this holiday is not inclusive to every person in America, it has become an annual day of celebration of life for many, first starting in 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. Since that time, Memorial Day has turned into a day of celebration, which includes closed businesses, BBQs, music, parades, etc...
ReplyDeleteThe date of Memorial Day is said to be chosen because of the time of year, where things are in full bloom while decorating the soldier's graves. If you want to read just a little more about that, here is the link to the VA website about it: https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/memday.pdf
I do think that celebrations of life can be beneficial in the United States. In fact, Homewood (IL) has celebrated the Day of the Dead for the last couple of years (except this year) downtown. I did not know about this particular celebration until the festival happened in Homewood, and I'm really excited to learn more about that.
I thought the reasoning of the sugar skull was really interesting and well thought out. Even though they are having a day of celebration for their loved ones, the melting of the sugar was extremely symbolic. I hope to see your first-hand experience in Mexico. I would absolutely love to see how the culture embraces the positive emotions that can come when thinking about those they have lost. Really, overall, I'm very curious to see how their culture experiences this day.
Excellent work! I appreciate that you discuss Memorial Day. I was not aware that it was chosen for May because of the time of year! Sadly, more and more emphasis is placed on it being the "unofficial" start to the summer. Do you our society would welcome a holiday that regularly celebrates and remembers loved ones lost?
DeleteI feel like a majority (not all)of our society would welcome a holiday that regularly celebrates and remembers loved ones that we have lost! I also believe that there are a lot of people that are not aware of Day of the Dead, but would love the opportunity to participate in such a holiday.
Delete1. What holidays, if any, in the US celebrate the dead? If there are some, what is the history behind them? If not, why do you think that we don't?
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to certain other cultures—such as Mexico, where there is a Day of the Dead celebration—there is no official holiday in the United States honoring the deceased. Nevertheless, there are two days associated with honoring the departed:
1. Halloween: Celebrated on October 31, Halloween has its origins in ancient Celtic traditions like Samhain, which signaled the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Today, the holiday is mostly associated with costumes and candy. It was thought that the dead's spirits came back to Earth at this time of year. Despite being heavily commercialized, Halloween is nevertheless connected to themes of death and the paranormal even in modern times.
2. Memorial Day: Held on the final Monday of May, Memorial Day is a federal holiday honoring the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. It is a day to honor those who gave their lives in defense of the nation, even if it is not a typical celebration of the dead.
2 Throughout the next two weeks, you will have the opportunity to learn a lot! What do you hope to learn? Be specific as I hope to answer all of these questions!
I would like to learn more about Hispanic culture and all its traditions and festivals.
https://padreazul.com/blog/d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos-vs-halloween
1: After doing some research of my own, I found out that the U.S does not have a day where we actually celebrate our dead love ones. We are slowly adapting nevertheless, the Hispanic culture, Day of the Dead, as one of our own. But as we know, that would be sort of cheating due to the fact that it was born somewhere else. I could go ahead and say that Memorial Day here in the U.S is quite similar. Maybe without the pretty colors, flowers, or perhaps the sugar skulls but we do take the day off to remember the ones who died for us. From what I think the reason the country doesn't have an exact day to celebrate the dead is because this is a multi-cultural place where we are able to freely integrate ourselves with a culture that we identify with or perhaps what they celebrate is also important to oneself.
ReplyDelete2: While this is a fun and exciting trip, I am looking forward to learning more about the culture of the Oaxaca people. Including celebrations, architecture and food. I hope to see a lot of pictures of the architecture as well as the landscape!
Excellent work Stephany! I enjoyed how you mentioned our society is a melting pot of cultures which could definitely contribute to why our culture has not fully adopted or has a similar holiday to Day of the Dead. With your knowledge of Mexican architecture, what are your thoughts about how things will look? Let's see if you are right!
DeleteCurrent Student(H): 1. I believe that the reason why in the U.S. they don't have a holiday where they celebrate the dead is that they see it as a time of loss. Why would you celebrate someone close to you if they are no longer alive. Since it's a sad time for losing a loved one, they believed that you should still be sad about it.
ReplyDelete2. I want to learn, what other types of special holidays that spanish speakers perform that are not well known to the public eye?
Very nice work H! Yes, in the US, we often view death as a sad event, not one to be celebrated. With our US culture changing daily due to the melting pot of cultures, do you think we will ever get to a point where we view death as something not so sad?
Delete1. Well, there’s two holidays that seem close, which are Halloween and All Souls’ Day. Halloween has its origin in a Celtic holiday called Samhain. Which was originally at the end of the summer to light bonfires and wear costumes to ward of ghosts. Now it’s a holiday in the US to celebrate wearing costumes like ghosts, ghouls, and witches. Receiving candy and having parties. For Samhain, it is said that the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and spirits can cross into this world.
ReplyDeleteAll Souls’ Day is mostly celebrated by the Church in Roman Catholicism on the 2nd of November, where it commemorates the faithful departed Christians who are believed to be in purgatory as a point to purify themselves. The prayers are said to allow “indulgence”, where it lessens the struggle of those faithful that have passed.
2. I hope to learn what do specific colors of the flowers that we placed around our altar. Also, I hope to learn more about Santa Muerte, I heard of her years ago but not really sure about her origins too well. I read she was originally named Mictēcacihuātl in Aztec mythology as the death deity, now known as Lady of the Dead.
Have a safe trip, Mrs. McCann!
Excellent work Ian! I am having a wonderful time and learning so much! I think that it so interesting that you discussed Mictēcacihuātl only because Day of the Dead is a blending of the Aztec/Indigenous culture with Spanish Catholicism! I was aware that the marigolds are used because of their scent is believed to attract the souls. But I found this regarding the colors "The colors yellow and orange are both used in this holiday to represent marigolds, the sun, and light. Marigolds are the flowers of the dead and are thought to help the deceased find their way back home due to their strong scent and bright colors."
DeleteTHE SYMBOLOGY OF DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. (n.d.). https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/663/files/DiaTourHandout_20201211.pdf
I believe there is no holiday in the US that celebrates the dead the way Mexico celebrates the dead. But, throughout the years people in the US adapts to some of the Mexico traditions and things from their culture. After researching a little, Memorial Day is a day that celebrates the dead kinda more honoring than celebrating the dead. It is a day that honors those who have passed in service to our country. I was always curious to know what the skulls made for Día de los Muertos was made out and when I fought out that they are made out of sugar mainly I was shocked.
ReplyDeleteI don't know of any holidays in the US that celebrate the dead. I believe this is because, in general, the United States has a very poor way of dealing with all aspects of death. We don't allow adequate time for grief or good support systems for those grieving. People feel uncomfortable talking about death or even asking others about their loved ones that have died. I hope to learn about this holiday beyond what I've seen through commercialized content of the holiday and get a greater understanding of what it means to people who celebrate it.
ReplyDeleteVery good! I loved how you wrote about how we often feel uncomfortable talking about death. It is a very taboo subject. And, yes, while Day of the Dead has been commercialized, I truly feel that this trip has allowed me to see the real, authentic celebration and bring this knowledge to you!
DeleteI do not know of any US holidays that celebrate the dead. We have Memorial Day, but it's more of an observation than a celebration. American culture looks at death and loss in only a negative way. What does show promise is the number of Americans that celebrate the day of the dead. It appears to be getting more popular!
ReplyDeleteIn the next two weeks I hope to learn more about how the day of the dead is celebrated and the types of foods and candies that are eaten during.
Excellent work! It is definitely growing in popularity. But I do wonder if it is because of what Dia De Los Muertos represents or if it is because the US generally enjoys and welcomes any and all reasons to celebrate.
DeleteFor the food that is eaten (by those celebrating and welcoming the souls), I do know that Day of the Dead Bread (Pan de Muerto) is very popular and I am fortunate to be able to participate in this! I will update later in the week!
Even though I am still new in the United States, I am aware that the Memorial Day is a holiday to honor those who died while serving in the military. Asides that, I do not think the US celebrates the dead. This may be due to American culture, which is a mix of many different traditions, so the way people remember and celebrate the dead varies depending on their background and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn about their traditional foods and their symbolic significance.
Memorial day honors members of America's military service members who lost their lives while defending America,
ReplyDeletefirst observed in 1868 to commemorate the civil war soldiers.
- Throughout the next few weeks I hope to learn more about the celebration of the day of the dead, like the food and the colors. Hispanic culture is known for their pretty decorations and vibrant colors.
I couldn't really find any holidays that celebrate the dead in the US. Though memorial Day is probably the closest thing to celebrating the dead. I don't think that it's celebrated here in the US, due to the cultural diversity here. There no main focus on one culture.
ReplyDeleteOver the next two weeks I look forward to being able to communicate with others in Spanish without needing assistance. More importantly, I expect to learn more in depth about the culture.
In the United States we have one holiday to celebrate our loved ones, which is memorial day. Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday observed in the US to remember and pay tribute to US service members who have fallen while serving in the armed forces. On May 30 from 1868 to 1970, it was observed. It has been observed on the final Monday in May since 1971. Although Memorial day is a day to celebrate the fallen soldiers and veterans it does not measure up to the day of the dead. I believe the United States doesn’t have a day like The Day of The Dead because we as a country are not fully united and conjoined together. In latino communities, the culture is very strong and present. Family is also important, if not the most important thing in latino communities so when a member of the family passes, keeping their memory alive is the cultural thing to do. The United States is also the cultural capital so to have everyone able to celebrate the same holiday to the magnitude of The Day of the Dead is pretty difficult. Going into my previous point, I think there is too much division between nations in The United States for us to come together and celebrate something all together as a nation.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been to Oaxaca once and I am looking forward to seeing things similar to when I visited and new things that weren’t there. I am looking to learn more about the food and architecture in Oaxaca
Excellent point! With so many unique cultures and ethnicities in the US, it is understanding that it would be unlikely to come together to celebrate any particular holiday!
DeleteWOW! I did not realize that you had traveled here before! Please make sure you look at my photos throughout the blog and see if you notice any differences!
Memorial Day and Halloween are two major holidays in the US, in my opinion, that commemorate and honor the deceased. Memorial Day, a federal holiday, is held to remember military personnel who have died while saving our country. Memorial Day can be tracked back to post-civil war era, when numerous communities conducting tributes and memorials to dead troops, eventually gaining enough traction and become a national holiday. Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31, is associated with remembering and dressing up as the deceased. Although, Halloween is most recognized for costumes and trick or treating is origin came from Celtic rituals commemorating the end of harvest season. Through the next coming weeks, I hope to learn origins and histories of the Spanish language seeing how learning background information on a subject in my opinion makes it more interesting to learn.
ReplyDelete1.I'm new in the United States, but as far as I know, and because of the researches I've made, America has a lot of mexicans in their population, this people do keep with their traditions and celebrate the day of the Dead. They are also spreading their tradition as I know some American families that are making ofrendas in their houses.
ReplyDeleteTo commemorate the death, America has Memorial day, a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties. It is observed on the last Monday of May each year. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and remember those who sacrificed their lives while serving in the U.S. military. It also unofficially marks the beginning of summer
2. I am from Spain and I basically know everything, but I'm really looking forward in lerning more things about my own culture, or from other spanish-speaking cultures, as I think It's really interesting and even thought I'm from there, I've never stopped to deeply learn about it.
1. I have lived in the United States my whole life and the first holiday I came up with was Dia De Los Muertos because that's the only holiday that I celebrate with my family to remember our loved ones who have passed. When thinking more about it I thought of Halloween some people like to dress up as people who have passed as their costume in a sense, they are remembering them by dressing up as them or even acting like them to fit the character or person. I also decided to google search if there were any other holidays besides the two, I have already mentioned. All Souls Day came up this holiday is all new to me, but this holiday dedicates.
ReplyDelete2. I am always open to learning new things, I lack in speaking and understanding a language a lot of my friends and family are experts in, so I would have to say I am excited to learn about the language itself. I also appreciate the modules you include such as this one bringing attention to holidays such as Dia De Los Muertos and I am excited to see what else you can teach us about the language and culture.
prayers to the dead it is also held on Dia De Los Muertos.
1. What holidays, if any, in the US celebrate the dead? If there are some, what is the history behind them? If not, why do you think that we don´t?
ReplyDeleteThe Day of the Dead is a holiday that’s traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, as a way to celebrate and recognize their cultural roots as a part of their Mexican-American heritage and to create a new Chicano identity, artists and activists started changing the Day of the Dead in the 1970s, changing it into the holiday that it is. The celebration combines native Aztec customs with imported Catholicism brought to America by Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century.
2. Throughout the next two weeks, you will have the opportunity to learn a lot! What do you hope to learn? Be specific as I hope to answer all of these questions!
Throughout the coming weeks, I hope to learn more about Spanish history and how it evolved throughout South America. Also, I would like to learn more about their traditional holidays.
1. The main holiday I can think of that remembers and celebrates those who have passed in the United States is Veteran's Day. This is a day that first was unofficially celebrated in 1947, and became an official holiday in 1954. This is a day that both celebrates those who are living and those who have passed.
ReplyDelete2. I hope to further learn how to conjugate and use correct grammar in Spanish, including working on perfecting the skill. I also hope to become more efficient in learning to understand Spanish as it is spoken, as I feel I am drastically better at understanding text, yet struggle when it is spoken.