The period is the right one to talk about Halloween, the holiday whose origins are not to be found in the United States as many believe, but reside in Europe, more precisely in Ireland. The pagan origins of this holiday date back to Samhain , the Celtic festival that celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of winter, according to the Celtic calendar marked by the phases of the harvest. Legend has it that on this night the distances between the world of the living and the dead narrow, allowing spirits to return to earth to visit their loved ones. The Romans, and subsequently the Christians, gradually eliminated the pagan holidays and so the Halloween celebration was moved to October 31st to precede All Saints' Day (November 1st). In fact, it seems that Halloween means all hallow's eve .
Halloween then found great success especially in the United States, becoming one of the most popular holidays. Elaborate costumes, dark disguises, sweets and decorations based on carved pumpkins, bats and papier-mâché spiderwebs. During the scariest night of the year, parties and parades are organized where children go around knocking on the doors of houses exclaiming the threatening promise trick or treat ? Which with us becomes: trick or treat? To save ourselves a scare at the modest price of some sweets or sweets.
The cult of the dead and departed souls is common to many peoples, who celebrate the relationship between life and death in peculiar and different ways. For example, in the same period in Mexico we celebrate the Día de los Muertos , a festival of pre-Columbian origin during which the deceased are honored by going to cemeteries where altars are built near the tombs, painting their faces with skulls and preparing culinary specialties such as Pan de los Muertos and sugar skulls. The spirit that characterizes this celebration is therefore totally positive, a moment of sharing to feel close to deceased loved ones. This festival is so famous that in 2003 it became a World Heritage Site and was also the subject of the recent Disney animated film "Coco", set during this festival.
Even in some areas of the Indian Ocean, such as Mauritius and its archipelago, the commemoration of the deceased which takes place on November 1st takes on a joyful and festive connotation. In fact, here we go to the cemetery where the tombs are decorated and cleaned. Subsequently, the deceased's favorite dish is prepared and enjoyed together with a glass of rum. In many African countries, dance plays a significant role and often accompanies the deceased on their last journey. In Madagascar there is even a celebration of famadihana which involves the exhumation of ancestors after a certain period, so that we can celebrate together in the true sense of the word.
In Japan, however, it is celebrated Obon , a festival of Buddhist origin that takes place in the summer months of July or August. During this time lanterns are lit to guide spirits who are believed to return to earth to find loved ones. Similar is the Cambodian festival of Pchum Ben during which people prepare food to offer to the souls of the deceased who wander the earth. Always in the East, and more precisely in China, on the day of Qingming It is held in April and the tombs of ancestors are cleaned here. This party too, just like the Samhain Irish, it has a seasonal value because it celebrates the transition from winter to spring.
In short, the rites may be different but the celebration of life and death has always been one of the most heartfelt and common practices for all human beings.