Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations

Origin Halloween was celebrated by the Celtic inhabitants to mark the beginning of the New Year celebrations. Pope Gregory IV marked November 1 as All Saints Day (Ankerberg, Weldon Burroughs 10). The Druids were the priests, and the educated class of the Celtic group.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Halloween was first celebrated by the ancient Druids who originated from India. The Celtic group inhabited northern France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Ankerberg, Weldon Burroughs note that the Halloween has borrowed practices of â€Å"more folk customs the world round than will ever be sorted out† (9). Dia de Los Muertos is considered as the Day of the Dead. It was celebrated by the Toltecs, Mayans, and Aztecs for many centuries before it was incorporated into the Catholic church beliefs. The Catholics recognized saints, and t hose who died in their childhood they considered as â€Å"little saints† (Untiedt 148). The dates for Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos coincide. According to Untiedt, â€Å"All Souls Day, or as it is known in Mexico and the American west, El Dia de Los Muertos† is celebrated formally on November 2. Symbols of Celebration The Dia de Los Muertos celebrations are similar to the Celtic beliefs that the spirits of the dead are roaming around the villages during such times. Those who walked at night had to wear masks to trick the ghosts. People lit fire to scare away ghosts (Untiedt 147). The Celtic groups believed that the God of the dead was converting evil souls to animals or incarnating souls that were considered good. This happened at the beginning of the year, which was in November according to their religious belief (Ankerberg, Weldon Burroughs 10). Role of the celebrations Halloween is considered a holiday of â€Å"rebellion, reversal, and resistance† as pres ented by Maclain (73). Initially, it was considered a time of feasting, courtship rituals, and themed costumes in the 18th and 19th centuries (Maclain 71).Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Halloween celebrations were later followed by acts of violence by the young adults in the U.S.A. until it was reinvented by the aged. Halloween was at first celebrated only by adults but currently these are children and young people who celebrate the holday most of all. In the traditional setting, the Celtic group believed in appeasing the God of Hades. This made them sacrifice humans until it was banned by the Romans in 61 A.D. (Belk para. 4). According to Belk, â€Å" after the feast, the ghosts were led out of town by costumed villagers† (para. 5). The people laid more emphasis on treating and tricking ghosts or the devil. In modern practice, children trick adults for gifts. This fol lows the example of the Irish drunkard who is believed to have tricked the Devil for an alcoholic drink, and climbed an apple tree. Most cultures emphasize the need to overcome the fear of the dead through Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. Perceived as Japan’s biggest Halloween parade taken four days ago This image above represents an illustration of the wya Halloween can be celebrated across different nations. In the given picture it is Japan. The costumes are used to gull ghosts; the costumes are stylish and expensive. The crowd of people is huge meaning that those who died happily celebrate their presence on earth Works Cited Ankerberg, John, John Weldon and Dillon Burroughs. The Facts on Halloween, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. E-book.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Belk, Russell. â€Å"Halloween: an Evolving American Consumption Ritual†, Advances in Consumer Research Vol. 17 (1990): 508-517. Web. http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=7058 Maclain, Adrienne. Playing on the Edge: Performance, Youth Culture, and the United State,. Ann Arbor: ProQuest Information and Learning Company, 2006. E-book. Untiedt, Kenneth. Death Lore: Texas Rituals, Superstitions, and Legends of the Hereafter, Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2008. E-book. This essay on Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations was written and submitted by user Hercules to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.