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Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

No idea if Day of the Dead is celebrated all across Latin America. If it is, do you get the day off? I luckily have, but have to make up class hours on Saturday now.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

In Colombia (well, Bogota) we have Halloween, so all of the noise is over now. It was very similar to what I imagine it to be in the US, although the adults don't get so involved. This morning as I was walking to work there were all these orange balloons floating down the street! Strangely eerie!

We didn't get a holiday, but we have a long weekend this weekend. Lots of public holidays that don't fall on a Monday are moved to the following one, which is what a puente is around these parts.

thelmadatter · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:04 pm Post subject: nope

Tec is "codo" when it comes to holidays. Only those federally required... Mad

I wanted to go with my guy friend to visit his parent's grave... would have been nice to experience the holiday in such a personal way.

pirateinpanama · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Panama City, Panama

here, (Panama), 2 Nov, is also a day set aside for the dead. I�ve heard some refer to it as "Memorial Day." In fact, in this country, Nov. is a month chock full of days off and in some cases, a holiday can be declared on the spur of the moment. This week there are days off for independence from Colombia and another is independence from Spain (or something like that). Who knows what�s next? Maybe we'll all celebrate Aunt Sadies birthday next week and close down classes again.
In short, Nov. is "let's find an exceuse not to work" month. Rolling Eyes

RyanS · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 356

i like it

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

One thing I forgot to say is that on tv here there have been lots of documentaries talking about how unique Mexico is in celebrating Day of the Dead. I don't know if its a bizarre coincidence, or something to do with the change in seasons in the rest of the world, but the first of November in Spain is known as All Saint's Day.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I think All Sain't Day is on the Catholic (Christian?) calendar everywhere? Here, Nov. 1st seems to be a rehearsal day for Nov 2...on the news, they mentioned that is was Day of Dead for children...but it was the first time I'd heard that.

All of this, Day of the Dead, All Saint's Day, All Hallow's Eve...comes as a chruch supression of very old pagan rituals that celebrated the change of seasons.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

I was given Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday. Some of us hired a boat and went on a snorkelling trip.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Cdaniels · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:09 am Post subject: Fun with Catholic holidays

In the Catholic calender, All Souls' Day is Nov 2. Apparently it's also called Defuncts' Day in Mexico?
Here's a link with more information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls'_Day
Zaduszki (also dzień zaduszny) is a Polish tradition of lighting candles (znicze) and visiting the graves of the relatives on All Souls Day.
They also celebrate Day of the Dead in the Phillipines.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Defunct's Day? I ran that past my wife in Spanish and the best she could come up with was that many people go to the cemeteries to visit their difuntos, or departed loved ones. She's never heard of it being called Day of the Defuncts (dia de los difuntos in Spanish).

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:17 pm Post subject:

Bet she's never been to Ecuador. It's "el D�a de los Difuntos" here.

And it's celebrated by going to cemetaries and eating bread shaped as babies and drinking colada morada, which is a hot fruity drink that looks (they say) like blood.

What day is it there? Here, el D�a de los Santos is November first, and el D�a de los Difuntos is November second. As an added bonus, the independence of Cuenca (a city in southern Ecuador) is November third. We are REALLY not planning to get any work done this month.

Justin

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Next holiday in Latin America?

Here, it would normally be Revolution Day, on the 20th of this month. But, it falls on a Sunday this year, so no puente, and no extra day off.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

We've got another puente this weekend, after just having one for the November 1st holiday.

Don't really know what this one is for, or how to find out!

Suppose I could walk away from the computer and ask someone. Shocked

pirateinpanama · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Panama City, Panama

Well, perhaps the better question for me; when do I go back to work?
Yesterday was the visit by Bush (unofficial holiday), Thurs. is yet ANOTHER
independence day, and today...well, I come in to teach and there�s riots going on just off the campus of the extreme leftist U of Panama (nothing new here too.) Oh hum...