Halloween

[Laura K]

Even though Halloween is over, it's our favorite festival as a family. How and in what places in Costa Rica is Halloween celebrated?

Edited November 3, 2008 by Laura K

[Epicatt2]

How and in what places in Costa Rica is Halloween celebrated?

Hi Laura,

 

Halloween in the US has evolved into a commercial holiday, far from it's original pagan roots.

 

But in Costa Rica instead of Halloween, they celebrate All Souls Day and All Saints Day.

 

All Souls Day is also known as Day of the Dead and is observed on November 2nd.

 

All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day is observed on November 1st.

 

From this latter we can see that the name Hallowe'en was derived from All Hallows Eve(ning).

 

In Costa Rica if you pass a cemetery on All Souls Day (Nov.2) you will find the monuments and graves to all be decorated with masses of flowers and also food and drink is sometimes set on the graves. Families go to the gravesites of their departed relatives to visit them and pray for them.

 

That is radically different from the way we in the US celebrate what we've turned this holiday into. Not trying to knock Halloween, tho. It's just that it's vastly more of a Gringo celebration. It hasn't caught on that way full tilt in CR as yet.

 

Costa Rica DOES participate greatly in Halloween, although in a rather indirect fashion: No costumes, but plenty of sugar cane, which is turned into sugar to sweeten all those trick'r treat candies with. Betcha didn't think of that . . .

 

¡Puras Pantomimas!

 

Paul M.

==

Edited November 4, 2008 by Epicatt2

[Laura K]

In Costa Rica if you pass a cemetery on All Souls Day (Nov.2) you will find the monuments and graves to all be decorated with masses of flowers and also food and drink is sometimes set on the graves. Foamilies go to the gravesites of their departed relatives to visit them and pray for them.

 

 

Paul,

 

The Costa Rica tradition of Day of the Dead/All Souls Day is beautiful.

 

This is a great replacement for Halloween.

 

Thank you for the explanation.

[jdocop]

ay yi yi.......Laura, never think for one moment that the manner in which other countries mark a special day has anything to do with "replacing" whatever it is that we do. If anything, our commercialized candy-obsessed evening is our replacement for what most of the world still believes in. The Day of the Dead, and the visiting of cemataries (not just to pray, but - all over Latin America - often a picnic is held on the grave of a dearly departed one) is closely tied to the Catholic religion, and is also that religion's way of incorporating the old pagan beliefs into something that the Church could accept.

[Laura K]

ay yi yi.......Laura, never think for one moment that the manner in which other countries mark a special day has anything to do with "replacing" whatever it is that we do. If anything, our commercialized candy-obsessed evening is our replacement for what most of the world still believes in. The Day of the Dead, and the visiting of cemataries (not just to pray, but - all over Latin America - often a picnic is held on the grave of a dearly departed one) is closely tied to the Catholic religion, and is also that religion's way of incorporating the old pagan beliefs into something that the Church could accept.

 

 

Jdocop,

 

Thanks for the information about Day of the Dead.

 

You're right..."replacing" is the wrong word.

 

If fact, I am Catholic myself.

 

Also, I do love picnics.