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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 11:15:37 GMT
Halloween is very big here. Always has been. The city lends itself to the holiday in it's own peculiar way. A certain spookiness with regard to the atmosphere,the buildings,old and decrepit,huge old Live Oak trees covered in Spanish Moss,misty,foggy. An overall decadence,the history of voodoo and the huge Caribbean influence in evidence everywhere. Warm temperatures to run around and cavort. Adults and children alike indulge. Far less commercialized then other places which is unique. How is Halloween celebrated where you are?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 12:15:41 GMT
After the brief commercial flurry at the beginning of this century, Halloween was relegated back to the category of "strange foreign customs" and is now totally ignored again, except by Disneyland Paris and the Parc Astérix, which can make a few extra euros out of it.
All Saints Day on November 1st still remains the important day to put chyrsanthemums on the tombs in the cemetery (damn, I have to immediately send a check to the woman back in the ancestral village who takes care of that!), but I would say that it is basically just the chore of the one person in each family who has been self-nominated to take care of all cemetery stuff -- there is no family gathering or anything.
Actually, all of that stuff should be done on November 2nd, the day of the dead, but the 1st and 2nd have fused together in France and most people don't even know the difference between them. The cemetery stuff gets done on the 1st basically because November 1st is a holiday. Since it's on Sunday this year, it doesn't make any difference.
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Post by bjd on Oct 29, 2009 12:18:26 GMT
For a few years, supermarkets were pushing Halloween as a way of getting people to buy their kids candy and costumes, but I think it didn't catch on too well. I haven't seen much about it lately. People here (at least older ones) still buy chrysanthemums to put on the graves of their loved ones. Of course, this is for people who live somewhere near their loved ones' graves, although some do go quite far. More countryside than Parisian, of course.
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Post by bjd on Oct 29, 2009 12:19:11 GMT
Kerouac posted while I was typing. Glad to see we said the same thing.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 12:55:44 GMT
Likewise,All Saints Day is celebrated here with great reverence. Today and tomorrow and in some cases all this week,crews are in the cemeteries cleaning up. One cemetery in particular,very large,has a shuttle bus that transports people about as it can get tricky maneuvering about and many of the visitors are quite elderly. I will go and gather up bags of the raked up pine needles to use in my garden as mulch. I expect as it is on Sunday this year that there will many more people observing.
The full moon (the Beaver Moon) is on All Souls Day,November 2.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 29, 2009 14:56:23 GMT
That is interesting about the chrysanthemums being the traditional flower for All Souls in France. They certainly are in Louisiana, as well. When I tell people here that, they do a double-take and usually say, "They are??! Why?" That's because the marigold (tagetes) is so closely associated with the holiday in Mexico -- a holiday that existed long before the Spaniards imported their religion. Paths are made of marigold petals to help guide the dead back to their earthly homes during this season. More and more of the commercial Halloween crap is being introduced here, but it has not edged out the traditional ways of celebrating. Also, no one gets the whole trick-or-treat thing, with stray groups of kids turning up at random any time during the the three day period. I can say, hands down, that I am in the best place in the world at this time of year. Oaxaca during the days of the dead is a joyous, fun, colorful place. I will definitely take pictures and report, but meanwhile here is a commercial site with tons of photos and one of those pictures which was taken in the cemetery of the town where I live.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 15:08:47 GMT
I would imagine that this "All Souls Day" terminology is another way of fusing November 1st and 2nd to avoid making a separation between those of us who will become saints from the ordinary riffraff.
There is no way to do this in French, because the days are very clearly named "Toussaint" followed by "Défunts."
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 29, 2009 15:55:50 GMT
Well, that's not correct, because the proper terminology in English is, and has always been, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 18:07:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 19:01:28 GMT
Yes, Oaxaca is the place to be this weekend for sure. Great memories. I so look forward to your reporting on this B.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 19:12:53 GMT
We want at least 50 photos, including one of a soul.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 19:20:12 GMT
It big here, the kids always have a good time. Must say though I've never seen Halloween celebrated like it was in the West (of Canada), really amazing.
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Post by cristina on Oct 29, 2009 19:21:32 GMT
After all, they invented political correctness. God forbid that the word "dead" ever be used. I am so fed up with polite terms. K2, I don't think All Soul's Day is using a politically correct term. Historically, in the Catholic church anyway, the day was meant to pray for the souls of of those who were in Purgatory - so that their souls quite literally could enter heaven.
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Post by lola on Oct 29, 2009 21:18:49 GMT
I'd love to be somewhere where it was celebrated traditionally. The spread of orange plastic, strings of orange lights, fake cobwebs.... (calm self. must not bring self closer to actual grave by worrying about plastic gravestones in front yards.)
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Post by rikita on Oct 29, 2009 21:36:39 GMT
for a while some kids celebrated it... some stores put up decoration... there are some parties... but for most people it is a day like any other.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2009 0:40:38 GMT
English not being the original language of the Catholic church, it seems clear to me that there has been a mistranslation, intentional or unintentional.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2009 1:53:57 GMT
And French apparently was the original language?
You cannot make etymological assumptions based on inadequate knowledge and bizarre assumptions.
Cristina gave a perfect explanation. The term "All Souls" is from way before the dawn of political correctness.
Sheesh.
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Post by imec on Oct 30, 2009 1:58:39 GMT
Huge here. Parties, front yard displays, trick or treat, people wearing costumes in stores....
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Post by cristina on Oct 30, 2009 3:25:10 GMT
English not being the original language of the Catholic church, it seems clear to me that there has been a mistranslation, intentional or unintentional. Honestly, I do think this is one of those subtleties of language. The Latin Defunctorum means either the nouns soul or dead. Some people or cultures pray for or honor the deceased, as a whole body, and others pray for or honor just the soul (presuming that its the soul, not the body, that needs assurance of entry into heaven). I don't think there is a black and white answer. I think it just depends on the religious or cultural background of the speaker. And at least in my pea brain, Dia de los Muertos, for example, and All Souls Day are the same, different and complementary. One can both honor the dead, and pray for their souls. They're two different actions, but they aren't mutually exclusive.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2009 11:32:45 GMT
Just occurred to me that the Port will be 9 months old on All Souls Day. How fitting.
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Post by imec on Oct 30, 2009 12:33:01 GMT
The kids will be wearing costumes at school today as well as for the trick or treating tomorrow night. It's always fascinating to learn what they're dressing as each year. Here are a couple of pics from about 4 years ago. No one was really sure what young Miss I was going for with this get-up, but in her own mind it was a stroke of profound brilliance and was completely stunned (not to mention pissed off) that she didn't win any contests. The little fella's never quite happy with his costume as evidenced by his standard expression under such circumstances in this pic.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2009 13:03:49 GMT
Nice pics, imec.
My two oldest aren't bothered about Halloween anymore, unless they are attending a party or something. My youngest still loves trick and treating, he's going with one of his little friends again this year, just down to the village. He's going as a Hobo this year, complete with bundle tied to the end of a stick!
The village looks just magical on Halloween night, some people put a lot of effort into the displays. And because nearly every one knows each other, it feels really safe too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2009 18:22:06 GMT
Ha ha, Imec -- I thought they were both being in character. Cute!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2009 19:07:09 GMT
One of the reasons that my nephew is leaving tomorrow is because' he has an "important Halloween party" in San Diego tomorrow night.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2009 20:06:26 GMT
A few Halloween tips:
Ringing a bell scares evil spirits away.
If you see a spider on this night, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you.
To meet a witch, put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Oct 31, 2009 0:03:07 GMT
Although the Pátzcuaro.Mexico area is noted for its traditional observance of el Día de Los Muertos and la Noche as well, Hallowee'n is celebrated by the children, as they enjoy dressing up in typically homemade costumes or makeup. They will be coming to our house tomorrow night, where we will greet them with homemade cookies and hot apple punch. We won't be giving out coins, as some people do.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 31, 2009 2:15:05 GMT
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Post by imec on Oct 31, 2009 17:29:20 GMT
We're all set to receive the dead and any other creeps that may show up. Candy has been selected: Assorted body parts: Everything bagged: Got us a nice pumpkin: All carved up - Pumpkins Behaving Badly
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2009 17:44:38 GMT
Ymmy! (not the sick pumpkin though) ;D
I want to go trick and treating at your place, imec.
Living so far out of the village, we get very few trick and treaters here. I think we got two last year. Just as well with all the bears and coyotes prowling around. More time for us to collect candies from other people's houses!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2009 18:22:13 GMT
Watch out, somebody is going to say that you are supposed to be roasting those pumpkin seeds.
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