Then she came home and looked through her goodie bag. Wow, I can't believe how tiny she was. These are some photos from two years ago of my nephews. My Mom made the boys' costumes. Pretty cool hu?
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| My youngest nephew born this year. Wonder what he will be wearing for this first Halloween |
Beli's second Halloween was spent in Croatia and my sister offered to mail me an outfit but I declined since Halloween is not celebrated here. The closest thing resembling Halloween is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Needless to say that the holiday passed by unnoticed. Although I think Croatia has a similar tradition to Mexico and that is El dia de los Muertos. Nov 1st/2nd is a family occasion where you visit the graves of your loved ones and take fresh flowers.
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| Photo by Loren Javier via Spanglishbaby.com |
I asked my Mom why I don't remember celebrating that holiday and she told me its more of a tradition in the central part of Mexico. Here in Croatia, On November 1st or 2nd (not sure which day) all the shops are closed, workplaces are shut and it's a time for families to be together. My Mother-in-law will be traveling about 5 hours across the border to visit the cemetery where her parents are buried and offer fresh flowers on their graves. It amazes me how our cultures (Mexico and Croatia) are similar in so many ways. Sometimes the world is quite small isn't it?
I'm trying to remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween and I think it was during my college years but I can't remember what costume I wore. Hmmmm maybe a call to my sisters will jog my memory. For those of you that do celebrate Halloween, happy trick-o-treating and be sure to check out the following links for more posts about the subject.
They also have that tradition in Poland..I remember as a little girl going to visit graves on the 1st of November. Ohh those photos are so adorable:) kisses,sweetie
ReplyDeleteThey don't really celebrate Halloween here in Denmark, you won't see any kids trick or treating. The closest thing to dressing up is during Fastelavn (right before Ash Wednesday, where the kids dress up but I still don't think they trick or treat.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how cultures are more alike than we think. Now if the rest of the world only realized that we are more alike than different...
The Orthodox church has four days a year I think that are for remembering the ones who passed away, lighting of the candles in church, and visiting the graves with fresh flowers and food that is shared there. I do not think Croats bring food to the grave sites, but here it is still a tradition and baked good are share, and offered to all passers by and eaten for the sole of the one who is not with us. These days are called ZADUŠNICE , za dušu, for the sole in literal translation. Yes I have noticed the similarity with the Mexican day of the dead and there is a scene at the beginning of the Almodovar film (I forgot which one) showing all the widows at the grave cleaning and bringing flowers. Hallooween is something that children have taken up because of the costumes. I remember being the only one without the costume in my 6th grade, because I just got there, did not understand what the Holiday was about, and the teacher trying to pull together a look for me so I would not be the only one without the costume. I carried a bucket in a shape of a pumpkin around the school yard.
ReplyDeleteDiana, that's very interesting, I wonder if it has to do with being Catholic, it seems that's the common link?
ReplyDelete@ Biking in heels
ReplyDelete"..Now if the rest of the world only realized that we are more alike than different."
very true, I agree.
They don't really celebrate Halloween here in Thailand but restaurants, bars, etc do highlight it for commercial purposes. I've always been a little interested in El Dia de los Muertos - in addition to visiting family members' graves, people go celebrate too, right?
ReplyDeleteJelena, this must have been quite a shock for you (in 6th grade). I think the film is with Penelope Cruz, wait I will have to google it. hehe Ok I think it's Volver.
ReplyDelete@ Tee,
ReplyDeleteyes they visit the graves and they also prepare an altar at home with candles and photos. and meals are prepared and it's suppose to be a happy day filled with eating, drinking and sitting around telling stories of their loved ones.
That's interesting! I'm definitely going to read that article because I have this vague-ish remembering of a discussion with someone about halloween in mexico...or something. Anyway, I don't think they really celebrate it here either - maybe more out in the villages.
ReplyDeleteI never, never, NEVER would have anticipated that Croatia and Mexico had much in common. Very cool!
ReplyDeletelovely internet, to do some reasearch.
ReplyDeletefound on wikipedia (english):
All Saints' Day (in the Roman Catholic Church officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas[1]), often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November in Western Christianity.
in Holland (nizozemska), 1st. of november is known as "allerheiligen" (all saints), haloween came to us from the usa because of the business (like coca cola and mc donalds), but carnaval, also a catholic tradition, was one of the biggest happenings especially in southern holland (with me as one of those many dressed up idiots for four long days and nights).
so yes, there are many cultural connections between all catholic countries, much of it brought to us all by those spanish "conquistadores" (we were fighting in holland for eighty years, long long ago).
see under "tachtig jarige oorlog" to learn more.
not being a roman catholic (hell no), I love those cultural connections all the better, also making me feel at home in hrvatska.
This is the first Halloween in a long time that I am dressing up. I got a great witch's hat and will dig out my graduation gown to wear.
ReplyDeleteI love love love the Raggedy Andy costume! He's one of my all time favorites. With Raggedy Annie topping the list, of course!
Glad you've joined the gang!
xo Susie
Hi, Elisa. Great post! Beli looks so cute in her bumble bee costume!! It was my dream to dress us our babies in bumble bee costume, but I could not find one when we were in San Antonio for the holiday, so I bought a pumpkin, so both of my girls were a pumpkin for their first Halloween. It was very cute though. Loved it. We have a very similar holiday to El Dia de los Muertos in Japan. It's in August and many companies give holidays to their employees. Many Japanese people travel during this time. People usually go to their home town to visit their ancestry's gravesite. I realize I don't keep this tradition in my own family (well, I'm married to a non-Japanese and now we're away from Japan, so not feasible), and that's kind of sad, but I like the tradition.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are sooo cute! My nephew was a bumble bee his first year, too. It would have been in Boulder, but they moved back to the Bay Area while my sister was still pregnant.
ReplyDeleteOur grandmother made us Ragedy-Ann and Ragedy-Andy costumes that looked a ot like you nephew's! But neither of us wanted to be the boy so she had to make another Ragedy-Ann. My poor grandmother! It's really nice your mom does that.
oh thanks for stopping by my blog...your little one is too precious! And interesting information on halloween in Croatia and Mexico.
ReplyDeleteKrystal, I think you will find the article very interesting.
ReplyDeleteLove these!
ReplyDeleteTraci, I know right?
ReplyDeletePim, agree it's more of a business tactic halloween, in a way I'm glad it hasn't made its way here yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying reading about the different countries and how they celebrate/don't celebrate around this time of year. Very interesting how Mexico, Croatia, Poland, Denmark, Serbia, Holland, Thailand, Switzerland, Japan have all something in common.
Hey Susie have fun on Halloween!
ReplyDeleteKaho,
ReplyDeleteI bet your daughters looked so cute in their pumpkin outfits. It's fun when they are babies, now they (like my daughter) have a voice of their own.
I'm sure you will find our own tradition with your family. really so Japan also has that celebration like Mexico? Wow that's interesting.
Thanks for teaching me something new! You have a new follower. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Hulabuns! thanks for the follow!
ReplyDeleteNo luck accessing Ulrike's blog, very strange...
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures as usual of Beli!! :)
I really love this raggedy ann costumes
ReplyDeleteand by the way these post was really very nice and very helpful.