Did you know that even Halloween was reconsidered in the context of the events that took place on 9/11? When the world recoiled at the violence and carnage that took place on that day, people thought that celebrations should necessarily reflect the losses that took place during that sad day.
Many peoples wanted Halloween to be a reflective time, where people could genuinely remember and mourn the loss of loved ones. This is a very robust turn-around for a celebration that was fast becoming engulfed by the smoke and mirrors of corporatism.
What was it like, back then?
If we are to believe what the scholars of Halloween are saying, then Halloween was never about candy and other frivolous commodities. It was about genuine human emotion, something that is being confused for other things in our post-modern days.
Halloween was originally a celebration of life. By remembering and paying respects to those that have passed away, Halloween acted as that small hill where people could congregate and look at the past. By remember and understanding the past, people could confidently expect continuity.
Continuity
Continuity is such a strong thematic for Halloween, even if people don't realize it. Continuity is important because the thematic of death is not a terminal point; what precedes death is also the continuation of the process.
When someone appreciates what death is, that someone would also appreciate the process of life-creation. Life is never unitary. If it were, there would be no need for monuments and tombs. The continuity of life is celebrated by remembering what happens after it. It makes the experience of living richer and more rewarding for those who are intuitive enough to realize it.
Dia de los Muertos
A festival of mourning might sound paradoxical. However, in many cultures outside the white, homogenous borders of the United States, death was something that should be taught and remembered through ritual and ceremony.
In Rio Grande, the Dia de los Muertos was an official time of mourning. It was a time when people were actually interested in revisiting the memories of those what were no longer there with them. It is interesting to note, because when something unbelievably horrible or tragic happens, we often look inward and outward for answers.
In the case of the tragic events of September 11, some Americans have looked outward for answers. Because it seems that Corporate America had forgotten how to completely mourn something so tragic.
Can we turn Halloween around? Can we transform it to something more viable and memorable for everyone? In due time perhaps, people would realize that this celebration is deeper and richer than we realized.
There is still hope to change a superficial celebration to something more worthy of people's time and memory. And when that transformation takes place, we can easily embrace it completely, once again.
