What is the difference between "el dia de los muertos" and Halloween?

Question

What is the difference between "el día de los muertos" and Halloween? (Besides the trick or treat routine) Does anyone know the origin?

Answer 1

Actually they have little in common except their proximity on the calendar. Their history is different, their customs and rituals are different, even the cultures that observe them are different. They are just vaguely related through El Día de Todos los Santos and the Catholic Church.

Halloween originated for scaring away evil spirits and those of the dead (research Samhain) while el día del los muertos is a welcoming of the spirtits of the dead. It probably has more in common with some Chinese rituals for honoring their ancestors than Halloween.

• Well said - Luv2Sing46 Nov 1, 2009

Answer 2

XHola!, Katrinks :

 

An Internet Search Is Needed .........The Information you have asked about is not available through the materials found on the Span¡shD!ct learning web site. To find an answer to your question, someone must use “Google”, “Bing” or some other search engine. Try a Google search. (Short) phrases should be enclosed in quotation marks for search purposes. If you prefer, use any other search engine.

 

I'm sure hope you know how to conduct an internet search. This is really just an excuse to show off my poster because, I know that if you do your searches using the terms "Halloween" and "Día de Los Muertos" you will find heaps of information.

Recuerdos/Regards,

Moe

Answer 3

el dia de muertos is to worship the people who you cared about that died Halloween is just to take the children out to get free candy

Answer 4

Halloween is a big party. El dia de los muertos even the music is forbid.

• Not in Bolivia - they even play music in the cemeteries while visiting deceased relatives. - ian-hill Nov 1, 2011

Answer 5

The differnece between Halloween is that Halloween Makes fun of the Dead. Alot of People think The dead is Funny when they havent really Known What its like to lose a family Member. Día de los Muertos Celebrates the death Of your Loved Ones that Have Died. Some things You do for the Occasion is you build an alter To bring back that loved one to where u are so they can leave and come back year after year. An alter is a Setting of things on a table with all The Favorite things of that Loved one and a Picture.