Dia de los muertes, like all memorials, are for the living, not the dead. And cross-cultural contamin… appropria… COMMUNICATION means that things like the US’s Halloween treats are moving in on what was a somewhat solemn and religious time.
Face it. Holidays are force-shaped and controlled by marketing and hype. Average folks don’t get a vote, no matter the growing complaints about commercialization.
In the 30’s thru 50’s, school calendars were tightly tied to the traditional holidays. They were on the ‘things to look forward to’ list and were treasured for their briefness. Other participations were limited to weekends because it was believed that educational time took precedence over the commercial.
Now there are school holidays to celebrate almost everything except sofa lint. Won’t be surprised if that makes the list in the near future.
Back in the Philippines where I was from the families (both mine and my wife’s) spent the previous days cleaning around our dearly departed family’s crypts and putting flowers up. We are both Catholics so October 31st to November 2nd are celebrated and November 1st itself is a celebration of all the saints.
I had that same discussion with someone at work yesterday. A person of Mexican descent took the day off and I suggested that it might be for the Day of the Dead and they asked if it was that day so we looked it up and found out Day of the Dead was two days long and we discussed it if was Friday at night fall until Saturday at nightfall like Jewish holidays
It’s not really two days. It spans two dates on the calendar. The thing is, these ancient holidays were established before modern timekeeping practices, which have dates start at midnight. Holidays started at sundown and ended at the next sundown. You know Christmas works the same way, right? It’s not two days long. It starts at sundown on Dec 24 — Christmas Eve — then goes through the next day (Christmas Day), and ends at sundown on Dec 25. Hallows Eve and Hallows Day work the same way, or at least used to, back when our ancestors kept time that way, where days ended at sundown instead of midnight. It’s tough to schedule stuff when the day’s end floats around, though; by the 17th Century or so, we were starting to depend on a fixed clock for the sake of keeping appointments, and that meant defining an arbitrary midnight to work from instead of following the Sun.
sergioandrade Premium Member 3 days ago
I thought the Day of the Dead was only November 2, All Souls Day in the Catholoc calender, November 1 is All Saints Day.12 years of Catholic school.
Concretionist 3 days ago
Dia de los muertes, like all memorials, are for the living, not the dead. And cross-cultural contamin… appropria… COMMUNICATION means that things like the US’s Halloween treats are moving in on what was a somewhat solemn and religious time.
MeanBob Premium Member 3 days ago
I have no proof, but I rather imagine that Apres Vie has little to do with the passage of time. Apparently, this site doesn’t like diacritical glyphs.
mrwiskers 3 days ago
Time doesn’t exist in the natural world.
goboboyd 3 days ago
For the living?
bobtoledo Premium Member 3 days ago
I’m retired and time is not limited for me. I never go shopping when I’m in a hurry. It’s changed my life!
sandpiper 3 days ago
Face it. Holidays are force-shaped and controlled by marketing and hype. Average folks don’t get a vote, no matter the growing complaints about commercialization.
In the 30’s thru 50’s, school calendars were tightly tied to the traditional holidays. They were on the ‘things to look forward to’ list and were treasured for their briefness. Other participations were limited to weekends because it was believed that educational time took precedence over the commercial.
Now there are school holidays to celebrate almost everything except sofa lint. Won’t be surprised if that makes the list in the near future.
ChukLitl Premium Member 3 days ago
I think it’s a day of remembrance for our dearly departed, then one for those only the dead remember. Use the true name to enrich your power.
prrdh 3 days ago
Something like the 18-month International Geophysical ‘Year’.
Cactus-Pete 3 days ago
Amazon Prime Day is always two days.
poppacapsmokeblower 3 days ago
I thought, “Economically, a group without buying power.”
curtlyon19 3 days ago
good point, I guess
Smeagol 3 days ago
Back in the Philippines where I was from the families (both mine and my wife’s) spent the previous days cleaning around our dearly departed family’s crypts and putting flowers up. We are both Catholics so October 31st to November 2nd are celebrated and November 1st itself is a celebration of all the saints.
johnschutt 3 days ago
Our souls are subject to time after we die. We are eternal.
MeanBob Premium Member 3 days ago
Time is an illusion, lunchtime, doubly so.
Bilan 3 days ago
Now if we can just get them to make Happy Hour two days long.
DM2860 2 days ago
I had that same discussion with someone at work yesterday. A person of Mexican descent took the day off and I suggested that it might be for the Day of the Dead and they asked if it was that day so we looked it up and found out Day of the Dead was two days long and we discussed it if was Friday at night fall until Saturday at nightfall like Jewish holidays
calliarcale about 16 hours ago
It’s not really two days. It spans two dates on the calendar. The thing is, these ancient holidays were established before modern timekeeping practices, which have dates start at midnight. Holidays started at sundown and ended at the next sundown. You know Christmas works the same way, right? It’s not two days long. It starts at sundown on Dec 24 — Christmas Eve — then goes through the next day (Christmas Day), and ends at sundown on Dec 25. Hallows Eve and Hallows Day work the same way, or at least used to, back when our ancestors kept time that way, where days ended at sundown instead of midnight. It’s tough to schedule stuff when the day’s end floats around, though; by the 17th Century or so, we were starting to depend on a fixed clock for the sake of keeping appointments, and that meant defining an arbitrary midnight to work from instead of following the Sun.