Why You Don't See A Lot Of Halloween Here In The DR...

AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
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kiskeya.life
After 20+ years in the country I've noticed that Halloween is not something you will see a lot here, especially in the less touristy areas. I asked around with locals and came up with an interesting explanation, and posted an article about it on my blog.

Basically, summing up the article so you don't necessarily have to read it, there are two reasons.

1. National Pride. It's perceived as a strictly US holiday, so the more patriotic stay away from it. That's in part due to the anti-American-meddling sentiments that still do exist here.

2. It's considered Demonic. 'Nuff said. Old argument.

But still, there seems to be a rise in more and more celebrating it. Has anyone else noticed that? :eek:gre: Any thoughts on that?
 
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the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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After 20+ years in the country I've noticed that Halloween is not something you will see a lot here, especially in the less touristy areas. I asked around with locals and came up with an interesting explanation, and posted an article about it on my blog.

Basically, summing up the article so you don't necessarily have to read it, there are two reasons.

1. National Pride. It's perceived as a strictly US holiday, so the more patriotic stay away from it. That's in part due to the anti-American-meddling sentiments that still do exist here.

2. It's considered Demonic. 'Nuff said. Old argument.

But still, there seems to be a rise in more and more celebrating it. Has anyone else noticed that? :eek:gre: Any thoughts on that?

i am bewildered that you started this thread. Halloween is an American holiday. i see no reason why Dominicans should care less.
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
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I'm still at a loss as to why some countries still send their children out to basically beg for candy one night per year and the rest of the year they beat into their little heads DO NOT TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS.
Dumbest thing going but I guess the economy benefits.
 

tee

Bronze
Sep 14, 2007
1,042
425
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Halloween if definitely NOT an American Holiday...they just commercialized it:
In England, from the medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.The practice of guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.

Souling was a Christian practice carried out in many English towns on Halloween and Christmas.
American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America".In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries
 

ROLLOUT

Silver
Jan 30, 2012
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Definitely not just an american holiday. I have a friend in Columbia, and her and her kiddo are going whole hog.

Myself, I bought apples, should the rugrats come banging on my door. GF thinks I am hombre malo.
 

Eleutheria

New member
Jun 23, 2015
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I'm still at a loss as to why some countries still send their children out to basically beg for candy one night per year and the rest of the year they beat into their little heads DO NOT TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS.
Dumbest thing going but I guess the economy benefits.

Ohhh it's true…. but as a child I LOVED Hallowe'en. More than Christmas, more than birthdays….
In Canada, you needed to make sure a parka fit under your costume, but going door-to-door and getting a PILLOWCASE full of candy…. wow!!!!!!!
Then, coming home, having your mother check for razor blades and opened packages….. lol….. well, anyway I thought it was just great. Sorting through all the candy, saving the lame ones and gorging on the good ones, resulting in a dizzying sugar high….
Maybe it's one of those things you have to grow up with to appreciate. Like marmite.
 

mofongoloco

Silver
Feb 7, 2013
3,002
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38
Gogon, you surprised me on that one.

i was thinking the same thing about halloween in DR and whether or not it is becoming part of the global cultural export available for purchase. manufactured in China, of course.

Day of the dead was a purely mexican holiday. It too has been commercialized and has extended far beyond the borders of mexico. people enjoy the aesthetic, but it's pretty much just mexicans who go to the cemetary, have lunch, clean the place up and decorate.

isn't halloween an opportunity to break out those weird KKK and Aryan costumes one occasionally sees popping up?
 

wrecksum

Bronze
Sep 27, 2010
2,063
96
48
All saints or 'Hallowed Eve' is a tradition going back even before I was born...

As usual..
It has been commercialised 1000% by US Big Business and is infecting countries far afield from its origins.

It really has to be one of the sorriest excuses for dressing up and having a party that one can imagine but ...Hey!

Any excuse for a party is good.

Even when it involves sending kids out as extortion agents........
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
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............. I asked around with locals and came up with an interesting explanation, and posted an article about it on my blog.........

Ah, so it's YOU. Really nice blog. I just found out about it today. Read a few articles and actually learned a few thing.

Thanks for taking the time to keep it recent.

The Jarabacoa Flower Festival video was really nice. The Cassava bread was very interesting and well put together. And of course I had read your Halloween piece before I read the post on DR1.

Nice,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, real nice
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
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Most people in the barrio don't have the money to buy/make the costumes and to buy the candy to hand out.

I have so much candy received as change from the colmado that I cannot understand how anyone here cannot have enough candy to hand out on halloween. ;-)
 

chrisgy

Active member
Jan 15, 2013
389
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on my blog.
/QUOTE]

Just read your blog. I like your writing style. Very easy on the mind. Fonts and breaks are easy on the eyes too.
 

AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
42
0
6
kiskeya.life
on my blog.
/QUOTE]

Just read your blog. I like your writing style. Very easy on the mind. Fonts and breaks are easy on the eyes too.

Thanks! I appreciate it and also for pointing out what you find works! Im hoping to keep it updated regularly, same with the videos. Since I don't make any money with it at this time its a work of passion, but I felt there was a need for articles and info that is more specific to our island as opposed to just straightforward touristy stuff: locations, subject, history, etc. and since I'm already a writer and filmmaker by trade, why only work and write for others...

Ill keep it updated! Thanks for the encouragement!

/Alec


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AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
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kiskeya.life
Ah, so it's YOU. Really nice blog. I just found out about it today. Read a few articles and actually learned a few thing.

Thanks for taking the time to keep it recent.

The Jarabacoa Flower Festival video was really nice. The Cassava bread was very interesting and well put together. And of course I had read your Halloween piece before I read the post on DR1.

Nice,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, real nice

Hehe, thanks! I try to keep it interesting. Basically i write what i like to read and know. I do the research and try to be fun and specific. Same with the videos. We got about 5 more in the editing stage. By the way, I started this with an Instagram account, so if you want more funny/weird/interesting facts, look up Kiskeya.Life on instagram.

Thanks for the encouragment!

All the best,
/Alec


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AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
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kiskeya.life
i am bewildered that you started this thread. Halloween is an American holiday. i see no reason why Dominicans should care less.

You're right, but thats just it. I was shocked to see how many Dominicanos now celebrate it. I drove through Santiago on Thursday, and man, half of the clubs had Halloween events and i even saw someone selling Halloween paraphernalia on the street...


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AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
42
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kiskeya.life
I'm still at a loss as to why some countries still send their children out to basically beg for candy one night per year and the rest of the year they beat into their little heads DO NOT TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS.
Dumbest thing going but I guess the economy benefits.

Ha! So true!


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AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
42
0
6
kiskeya.life
Halloween if definitely NOT an American Holiday...they just commercialized it:
In England, from the medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.In Scotland and Ireland, guising ? children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins ? is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.The practice of guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.

Souling was a Christian practice carried out in many English towns on Halloween and Christmas.
American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America".In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries

Interesting! Thanks for the facts! Its Kinda like the red Santa Clause. Everyone thinks he is the "American" Santa Clause because of the heavy commercialization of the character, but he really is in not "American" per se.


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AlecCorday

Member
Feb 26, 2014
42
0
6
kiskeya.life
Gogon, you surprised me on that one.

i was thinking the same thing about halloween in DR and whether or not it is becoming part of the global cultural export available for purchase. manufactured in China, of course.

Day of the dead was a purely mexican holiday. It too has been commercialized and has extended far beyond the borders of mexico. people enjoy the aesthetic, but it's pretty much just mexicans who go to the cemetary, have lunch, clean the place up and decorate.

isn't halloween an opportunity to break out those weird KKK and Aryan costumes one occasionally sees popping up?

I know, right! But if it sells it will be sold.


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