The Thin Veil

Halloween and Día de los Muertos

October 31st is Halloween. November 1st/2nd is Día de los Muertos. (It’s celebrated over two days.) Many people conflate the two holidays, saying that Día de los Muertos is just the Mexican version of Halloween. That isn’t just American ignorance—many Mexicans also think that they’re the same. Are they?

A Common Origin

Both Halloween and Día de los Muertos come from, despite what your Facebook feed will tell you, Catholic tradition. On the Catholic calendar, November 1st is All Saints’ Day, also called Hallowmas or Hallows’ Day (hence the night before being Hallows’ Eve, later transforming to Halloween), and November 2nd is All Souls’ Day.

These two days are closely related. All Saints’ Day is the day to celebrate all of the saints. All Souls’ Day is the day to celebrate the faithful departed, and to pray for those in purgatory.

If you are familiar with the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, you may already be able to see from that short description why such days would cause controversy. It is interesting, though, how the different cultures of the US and Mexico have adapted these days. As for why they happen this particular time of year, there is conflicting evidence, but one theory is that it was an effort to replace the Celtic celebration of Samhain, which they believed to be the time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was the most thin, and spirits could cross over.

Interestingly, in the US, which has largely rejected Catholicism, we see much more of the holdover from Samhain. Using jack-o’-lanterns, originally intended to ward away mischievous spirits (tying back to the story of Stingy Jack), and costumes, initially intended to blend in with the spirits so they didn’t spot you. By contrast, Mexico, which is predominantly Catholic, holds much more tightly onto the traditions of All Souls’ Day, honoring and praying for the dead, especially family members. And yet, strangely, I see Día de los Muertos demonized much more than Halloween. Hm. Could ethnocentrism be at play here?

But that point aside, my primary purpose here is just to educate. What you choose to celebrate or abstain from is between you and God. I believe there are healthy ways to celebrate both Halloween and Día de los Muertos, but I also have no intention of pressuring anyone into celebrating. If you feel it is wrong, then by no means should you risk damage to your soul by compromising your beliefs. I only ask that you ask questions and seek information before jumping to judgment.

Both holidays certainly have their differences from their sources. Both are fusions of Catholicism and local cultures. But you’ll see so many half-true social media posts about their origins, so I wanted to clear that up, first. If you’d like to know more, there is certainly more research within easy reach, I just didn’t want to make this article too long.

How is Día de los Muertos celebrated?

Mexico is bigger than most people realize; much too big to be a uniform culture. What I have seen in Chiapas is certainly different from what I saw in Mazatlán. So in asking what the day is like, the answer is that it really depends. But for a good depiction of the general idea of it, watch the movie Coco. Seriously. I cannot recommend that movie enough. It has a beautiful depiction of the values of Mexican culture.

The general idea is that this is a time to honor your family members who have passed away. Some believe that their spirits will actually cross over and visit their own graves. Thus, it is customary to decorate their graves, and possibly even leave out an offering for them to make the journey worth it. But rather than the day being about appeasing vengeful spirits, the attitude is more that you’re hosting for a beloved family member who came to see you after a long time away.

Isn’t this pagan? Why are Christians celebrating this?

Let me ask you something. Where in the Bible does it explicitly say that the dead can’t visit us? Where does the Bible denounce the idea of the veil between worlds thinning? In fact, doesn’t the Bible have a passage where a necromancer summons the soul of the prophet Samuel?

Listen, I’m not saying you have to, or even should, believe in these things. But I urge you not to judge too harshly what you do not understand. Remember that your culture is not any more valuable than any other culture. And I don’t particularly think that getting this one wrong is going to send you straight to hell. Remember Paul’s words in Romans 14:5-7.

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

The first point in this verse is to be certain of what is best for your own personal relationship with God. The second point is that someone else’s way of worshiping God may be different from yours, but equally valid. (This does not apply to people directly going against Scripture, but I’m convinced most people celebrating these holidays are not going against Scripture.) Or of course, just refer to Jesus’ words, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1).

Do you celebrate one or both of these days?

Personally, these are not holidays I typically observe. I did not grow up with Catholic traditions, and Halloween just feels kind of empty to me, though I would not deprive the kids of their fun in dressing up for trick-or-treating. Having grown up in the US, I also have limited experience with Día de los Muertos, and few within my circle participate in any related activities.

However, as some of you know, my sister died several years ago. I like to do something every now and then to be intentional about remembering her. What better day for that than Día de los Muertos? I don’t think there’s anything pagan about a journal entry and a song in memory of a loved one.

If you observe one or both of these holidays, or the Catholic traditions they stem from, what are your practices? I’m always eager to learn about cultural traditions! Leave me a comment!

In the meantime, check out the way these people celebrated Hallows’ Eve!

We were accidentally caught up in this while at a friend’s house for small group. Pablito had a mixed reaction, part excitement, and part wondering why they were doing this so late at night. (Late for him, at least.)

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