Champy: A tribute to life: Halloween and day of the dead

Environment smells like pumpkin.

That aroma began to be around since several weeks ago and the other day I stumbled in the main door with three pumpkins that dad bought us to decorate the entrance, I think they are huge!.

The smell of pumpkin is also common in Mexico and announces all preparations for the celebration of day of the dead, while at the United States, start the creativity for the celebration of Halloween. Mom explained me the difference between both traditions.

Halloween is the contraction All Hallows' Eve and is also known as the night of witches or dead. Calendar marks it on October 31 and the environment can´t be more favorable, since with the entry of the autumn, nights become cold and dark, trees shaked their leaves and branches creak moved by the wind. It is possible to see shadows at night to create a perfect environment to zombies, witches, mummies through neighborhoods to ask for a candy.

We found that the word Halloween was used for the first time during the 16th century as a Scottish variant of All-Hallows's-Eve (as a contraction of evening). By what mom found, the origins are as dark as Halloween night, because while the Historian Nicholas Rogers says that this festival can be relate with a Roman holiday that was made to the goddess of fruit and seeds, or with a celebration at the death, but most of the researchers relate its origin in a Celtic festival to celebrate the end of the summer.

Here, children disguise as ghosts, animals, monsters, zombies and happily walk around the neighborhood asking for candies, smiling to everybody. The houses are decorated with black cats, spiders, ghosts hanging from the trees, and of course, with pumpkins. Of course, there is at TV a marathon during all month of films with zombies, dead, skulls walking.

In Mexico, the traditions is related with the cult and respect to death mixed with the memory of those who have gone before us. The celebrations is at November 1st and 2nd and have a Prehispanic origin. Although in those times it was commemorated in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, near the beginning of the month of August and lasted an entire month. The saint patron of the Festival was the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as the Lady of death now this represented by the catrinas.

The celebration fills the atmosphere of perfumes of a candy made with pumpkin, incense, candles, and flowers. Altars are mounted in honor and memory of those who have departed from our side, the belief is that they return during those days to visit their homes, so people preparing offerings in their honor, which include different elements such as orange flowers called Cempaxuchitl representing the Sun's rays, portraits of people who offered the altar; candles that embody each of memorable people, because they serve as a guide for your soul.

Many people also burns incense because this attracts to people we love to the offering. It is placed a little bit of salt, as a mineral element that allows them to retrieve the energy due to the trip.

Decoration is made with perforated paper which denotes the duality of life and death, we offer a glass of water, because souls return thirsty for the trip, and as no doubt they are hungry, we stand different types of food, preferably that which our dead's liked the most. I remember my Grandpa loved chips so we always had them for him!. Another fun decorations are candy skulls and religious elements, such as a cross can’t miss because God takes good care of their souls on their way.

The offering Includes the most representative item which is the pan de muerto!, a traditional sweet bread only being prepared on these dates with figures of bones at the top, which makes it possible eating the death. I really liked to eat that bread. I remember it with great pleasure.

So that on both holidays are reminded those who left before, like Benny or my cousin Hershey, but tell them clearly they are always in our hearts, so there are sweet things in both celebrations, like the bread of dead or at the United States the candies we give to children. Although I guess that I will have none.

The important thing is that whether it's Halloween or day of the dead, the environment smells like pumpkin, and it's delicious!.