Dia de Muertos : Is It All That Similar to Halloween?

Oh, Halloween : the spooky holiday, where everyone gets to dress as something they're not. While I'd love to take this opportunity to talk about racially offensive costumes, I'd rather talk about something more subtle : sugarskulls.

It's almost inevitable on Halloween night to see someone with skull makeup, covered with jewels and whatever else they found at the craft store. Also known as a sugarskull or calavera, it's an important part of Dia de Muertos (roughly translated to "Day of the Dead"), a Mexican holiday celebrated on October 31st (often till two days later). Unknown to many however, is the cultural and spiritual importance of the day. To understand this, a little clarification is needed.

Halloween : the night of capitalism and cavities!

You see, Halloween is a Westernized holiday with origins coming from both Pagan and Christian influences. Although the holiday formerly focused on the souls of the departed, it has become a celebration of urban legends, dressing up and getting drunk. It's basically a scary Mardi Gras.

Dia de muertos : a beautiful celebration of life and death

#CultureNotCostume

Dia de Muertos, however, still retains it's original meaning, which can possibly trace back all the way to Aztec civilization. As opposed to being a grim and creepy holiday, it's an actual celebration of the dead. People flood cemeteries with offerings to their relatives, gift bouquets of marigolds and make sweet skull-shaped cookies — the original purpose of the sugarskull. On a deeper level, the holiday is about recognizing ancestors and Latin heritage. It's a religious day ; like a mass funeral, but less grim and more celebratory.

Considering the difference between the two holidays, as well as the racism Mexicans face, it's not difficult to imagine why some would be left offended by those who chose to emulate the sugarskull. Wearing the sugarskull on Halloween is comparable to a Muslim dressing up as baby Jesus on Eid ; it makes no sense.

Personally, I feel as if dressing up as a sugarskull is distasteful. Taking into consideration the oppression hispanic people face, taking a part of their culture for one day just to feel cute and have fun is insulting to their rich heritage. Saying you're "appreciating" their culture means nothing when you do it on the wrong day, and show apathy to their people and struggles any other day of the year.

Want to dress like a calavera? You're allowed to. Heck, I encourage you do whatever inspires you creatively. But if you had any regard for the people it comes from, you'd take a moment to read further about the actual holiday.

Sources : "Day of the Dead History: Ritual Dating Back 3000 Years." Azcentral. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
"Dia De Los Muertos." National Geographic Education. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.