By Onica Roman,
Edit/Blog/Publishing Team
Ghosts, goblins, and witches. Beautiful and creative costumes that adorn our faces on the 31st of October. Something that should not be a part of this is the beautiful Mexican culture. We understand that beauty is something that loves to be imitated but there is a thin line between respect for a culture on the 30th of October to the lack thereof on the 31st. This is NOT an attempt to stop you from celebrating because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, heck I even have a staple of eternal fall on my body. But anyone can celebrate without being offensive. The purpose of this is to make sure people of color and their important traditions are not being used solely for a source of entertainment. For far too long, it was like this, but it’s 2021. The world needs to be more open-minded with their perspective of what is versus what isn’t a costume.
Day of the Dead is something that is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. These are the days of Remembrance, a day to celebrate our loved ones that have passed on. This is often accompanied by music and favorite foods of our dearly departed relatives. A personal example of mine is the altar of my grandfather. He is someone who is very dear to me. I always play his favorite music, dance around, and invite him for dinner at my side with a plate set for him. Something that will always stick with me is his storytelling. He had a beautiful way of keeping my younger sister and I entertained. This was most true when it came down to stories about my mom and his other children. My grandfather inspired me to see the joy of life, and always be humble. He is the reason why I offer whatever I have even if it’s from my own plate.
Life is not meant to be selfish all the time, it’s made for its moments of joy such as an accomplishment of cooking on your own for the first time or when your little sister first learns how to drive a giant truck in the countryside only to reverse all the way back on high speed. I tell you this to emphasize that we as a proud culture and community honor our dead relatives on this special day because we will never forget how they influenced our lives when they were alive. We don’t like to put our sick elders in rest homes because we want to care for them in our homes. El Dia de los Muertos is being celebrated more today in the U.S. than ever before. But please remember our culture is NOT your costume for entertainment.
We All Have A Heritage 