via nuestrahermana.tumblr.comIn Mexico, many people sleep overnight at the graves. Every ritual & altar is not the same everywhere. Many places have their own traditions and ways of honoring the dead. One thing is for sure, Dia De Los Muertos is not Halloween. It is a sacred time and holiday for Latin@s everywhere.
So, when you’re dressing up for Halloween remember: doing this, this, this or this is not only disrespectful but it is also a erasure of someone’s real life culture. Think before you walk out of that door.
Now this is an interesting dilemma. When does imitation, referencing become offensive? When is influence and inspiration tinged with parody or worse yet, ridicule?
With today's multicultural (kuno) atmosphere, where can we draw the line between the sacred and the profane?
Symbols are a dominant part of ritual. When these symbols are removed from context, how does one distinguish fashion and art from propaganda and racism?
(I couldn't help but think this when I was doing Arabian-inspired wedding make-up, but perhaps the makeup is not as integral to the religious aspect of the wedding)
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