Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Trick or treat? Not for some in Mexico and Ecuador

Halloween is not typically celebrated in Latin America with several countries preferring to commemorate All Souls’ Day starting today. Yet lately Halloween has become increasingly popular in the region much to the chagrin of certain groups.

In Mexico, the Catholic Church criticized the celebration of Halloween as "damaging and against the faith." In a statement released on Monday, the Archdiocese of Mexico had called on drastic measures to shun Halloween and embrace the Dia de los Muertos:

The archdiocese urged parents not to let their children wear Halloween costumes or go trick-or-treating — instead suggesting Sunday school classes to "teach them the negative things about Halloween," costume parties where children can dress up as Biblical characters, and candy bags complete with instructions to give friends a piece while telling them "God loves you."

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa banned government offices from celebrating Halloween. Correa justified the edict by claiming that Halloween ran against the Ecuador’s national values and people should observe the country’s own “charming festivals”.

Sources- history.com, Mexidata.info, International Herald Tribune, The Times

Image- Fly Away Café

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your article seems to place these cuntries as lands of no fun...

I am a ecuadorian, and in Ecuador Halloween is still allowed and well observed by retailers, just not sponsored as much becuase of --as you called them---- these "charming festivities".

For your information, those "charming festivities" are actually fully recognized and indetity defining days in our ecuadorian calendary (National Emblem --or Official National Seal----Day, Day of the deceased and our Day of all saints plus a local city festivity --Cuenca)

I am sure that the mexican goverment has just as good reason to keep their national identity.

Besides in your article you had forgotten the extreme evangelical-right, who forbids Halloween ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!

Make sure to get more facts before placing the Ecuadorian goverment as a footnote in the article and just making the country seem to be runned by extremists, with such a uninspired article.

Thanks

Erwin C. said...

“Your article seems to place these cuntries as lands of no fun...”
No, that was not the aim behind the blog post nor was the intent to generalize Ecuador or Mexico as boring countries. The point was to show that some people aren’t happy with Halloween being celebrated in the Americas due to their own respective reasons. It is up to your judgment whether you agree with them or not.

“I am a ecuadorian, and in Ecuador Halloween is still allowed and well observed by retailers, just not sponsored as much becuase of --as you called them---- these "charming festivities".”
I appreciate your observations on how Halloween is celebrated in Ecuador. However, please note that the phrase "charming festivities" was a direct quotation by president Correa according to the last link mentioned in the blog post. (This one: http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/CelebZone/Article.aspx?id=600226).

“For your information, those "charming festivities" are actually fully recognized and indetity defining days in our ecuadorian calendary (National Emblem --or Official National Seal----Day, Day of the deceased and our Day of all saints plus a local city festivity --Cuenca)”
Right, those festivities are official holidays.

“I am sure that the mexican goverment has just as good reason to keep their national identity”.
Most likely.

“Besides in your article you had forgotten the extreme evangelical-right, who forbids Halloween ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!”
Would the “extreme evangelical-right” include the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico who spoke out so harshly against Halloween?

‘Make sure to get more facts before placing the Ecuadorian goverment as a footnote in the article and just making the country seem to be runned by extremists, with such a uninspired article.”
The Mexican Catholic Church and Ecuador’s government were mentioned due to their speaking out against Halloween with neither being a “footnote” to the other. Also, the post did not mean to purposely imply that any of those entities are run by “extremists”.

“Thanks”
And thank you for your comment, Vladimir.