In a campaign called “My culture is not a costume”, people from different ethnicities denounced the use of their traditional clothing as a Halloween costume. For example, Aboriginal complained that Non-Aboriginals wore loincloth and feathers. First Nation wears those kinds of outfits during Pow Wow, which is a major celebration for Natives and understanding their origin is important.
Originating from Native Americas, the term “pow wow” means “gathering of people coming together to trade” and all their celebration are based on this meaning. Back in the days, all tribes would assemble and share their knowledge. It was for the shaman, the spiritual leader, an important ceremony during which warrior feat and good fortune were celebrated. Only…show more content… Songs are witness of culture and past. Observation of nature created songs and dances, for example, the dance of the snake or the grass. These are individual one, but there “are the social couples' dances such as the Owl Dance and the Friendship Dance, […] in which all the participants join hands and circle the dance areas facing the centre of the dance circle”. Costumes are fundamental elements in the tradition. The Regalia, a costume made of beads, bracelets and colourful feathers, is a representation of their own life path.
Pow Wow is an event celebrated in Americas and its origins help understand its meaning of sharing with others and gathering everyone. Costumes, songs and dances influenced by nature and history are a good way to…show more content… According to the website History in a special Halloween folder, Halloween was the day before the day of the dead. Celts celebrated the end of summer during a special event called Samhain. On Halloween day, Celts believe that spirits of the decease one’s come back on Earth. Therefore, villages give offerings to dead people to avoid that ghosts come back to haunt them. They did not want them in their house, so they would place food outside their doorstep. Community members would even disguise themselves as ghosts to go incognito in the streets.
Both Dias de Los Muertos and Halloween are related to the final step of life. The day of the death in Central America and Mexico honour the decease, while Halloween used to be a scary day for people believing in the coming back of the dead. Hopefully, Halloween nowadays is a much happier celebration.
Being adopted from Vietnam, I have learnt about some Chinese New Year’s traditions. However, some of them were unknown to me until I listened to Sandrine team’s presentation. Chinese New Year’s traditions and family value were able to cross time and should inspire our Occidental