Day Of The Dead Myths You Should Definitely Stop Believing

Publish date: 2024-05-09

As Inside Mexico notes, the only things Halloween and the Day of the Dead have in common is that they take place at roughly the same time and that both holidays reference the barrier between life and death. That's where the similarities end. As for differences, they're legion: Day of the Dead is older, by centuries, dating back to 1,800 B.C. Halloween is, at least by this point, purely secular, while Day of the Dead is steeped in Catholic tradition and Aztec ritual. Halloween references ghosts, demons, and similarly "evil" manifestations of The Other Side, while Day of the Dead eschews all of that in favor of honoring the deceased. And while sweet treats play a role in the Mexican holiday, the purpose of the festival is not to acquire as much candy as possible but to honor deceased loved ones.

Further, at least one bit of Day-of-the-Dead-related-fiction became Day-of-the-Dead-related-fact, thanks to popular culture. As The Guardian notes, Mexico City never held a Day of the Dead parade; that is until a James Bond movie made it a thing. Specifically, 2015's "Spectre" featured a fictitious Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City as a plot point, and since it worked in the film, the city's leaders decided to go ahead and make it a reality — to mixed reviews.

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