Commemorating the ancestors is the common ground for all celebrations
The world comprises many ethnicities and cultures that differ from one another, but almost all of them dedicate one day in the year to remember those who are no longer with us and to continue traditions and celebrations that have been deeply rooted for centuries.
These traditions have evolved and changed over the years, yet they continue to share a common aim: to keep alive the memory of the deceased and to thin the boundary between life and death, the material and the spiritual.
These days are celebrated differently around the world, and while in the European and American context it is usually between 31 October and 2 November, in countries such as China, Japan or the Philippines the celebrations fall on other dates and with different festivities, although most include visits to cemeteries and the ancestors’ graves.
In Europe, most of the rituals and traditions of these dates are defined by Christianity or the ancient Celts, which sometimes leads to fusions between Christian and pagan celebrations.
Hence, 31 October marks Halloween, the origins of which go back to Celtic Ireland and the “Samhain” festival. It was believed that on this very special day the spirits could enter into our world and people dressed up in scary costumes to ward off evil spirits. Food offerings were left and candles were lit to help these lost souls find their way.
This holiday evolved into All Hallow’s Eve to eventually become Halloween, a celebration we know today for Halloween parades and dressing up in extravagant costumes to scare people. The United States (because of its Irish immigrants), Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland are the countries where Halloween is most celebrated, although it is becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world.
Today we all know the famous Halloween Trick or Treat, the common tradition in which children go door-to-door asking for sweets on the night of the 31st. Do you want to know the equivalent of “Trick or Treat” in other languages?
Spanish: Truco o trato French: Des bonbons ou un sort
German: Süßes sonst gibt es Saures Italian: Dolcetto or scherzetto
Polish: Cukierek albo psikus! Portuguese: Doçura ou travessura!
All Saints’ Day or Halloween?
In Christianity, All Saints’ Day (all the deceased who are in Heaven) is celebrated on 1 November and All Souls’ Day (those needing the prayers of their living loved ones in order to leave purgatory) on 2 November.
This tradition is deeply rooted in several countries, such as Poland, where cemeteries are dressed in lights, flowers and candles to commemorate ancestors and encourage reflection on life and death. The streets are filled with stalls where you can buy these items, as well as small pastries and sweets typical of these dates.
In Spain, there are different traditions for All Saints’ Day.
In Catalonia, for example, there is a parallel tradition of pagan origin, the Castanyada. As tradition dictates, the main streets of every town are filled with stands selling chestnuts roasted by the Castanyera (chestnut seller).
They are also prepared at home during family festivities on top of cemetery visits that are very popular among all families.
In other regions and cities we find celebrations such as Samaín in Galicia, the Tosantos festival in Cádiz or the Canto de las Ánimas in the town of Tajueco in Soria. In terms of food, there are different sweets typical of this time, such as huesos de santo (marzipan tubes filled with a sweet cream), buñuelos (small dough balls flavoured with anise) or pestiños (small dough balls glazed with honey), sweet potatoes, panellets (small marzipan cookies) and many more, all always accompanied by sweet Muscat wine.
It’s also worth mentioning the Mexican “Día de los Muertos” where the ancient indigenous celebrations blend with the Catholic traditions introduced by the Christians. Typically, people create altars with photos of the deceased in their homes, with flowers and candles tracing their path; the rituals also include preparing sweets and dishes typical of this time. The skull is the great symbol of death and the most visible face of the holiday.
Traditions, rituals and cultural differences on Halloween
As we have seen, there are different ways of commemorating our ancestors.
While in some parts of the world these are days of reflection, in others those days are marked by joy and great celebrations.
Some begin the day of Halloween with costumes and some spookiness, while others follow the traditions with religious rituals and cemetery or church visits. And last but not least, there’re those who like to participate in all these activities. After all, the beauty lies in finding a way we like best to commemorate those who are no longer with us and to continue cultivating the ancestral traditions that, in one way or another, remain in our lives to this day.
In the end, customs are like our translation and localisation services: adapted to each culture and country.
The importance of preserving our roots in a globalised world
Nowadays, in the backdrop of globalisation and access to information, it’s very easy to learn from other cultures and adopt new customs, especially if they are celebrations. Learning, discovering and innovating is extremely important in any discipline and we must harness this knowledge to grow as individuals.
Globalisation opens up new possibilities, allows us to face new challenges and to venture into the unknown.
Yet, we must not forget where we come from, who we are and who we interact with, as understanding and respecting all these cultural differences is what will distinguish us and help us win our interlocutor’s trust.
Localisation and linguistic sensitivity
This is why, when it comes to localisation, we must take all these cultural differences into account and develop a certain linguistic sensitivity that will help us earn the trust of our partners.
We’re not simply talking about culture or religion, but also about the forms of address, the use of words or images that are frowned upon in certain cultures and other differentiating factors that must be considered seriously.
The language and message must adapt to the reality of each country, be clear and respect our interlocutor. Only in this way can we do business successfully and build long-lasting relationships.
Overseas Translations: your language partner and cultural advisor
At Overseas Translations, we love to accompany our clients on their ventures into new markets as we consider all aspects concerning customs, traditions and appropriate language thanks to our extensive network of mother-tongue translators in the target language.
We do our utmost to build communication bridges between different regions of the world and seal international deals. Count on Overseas Translations. We know what we are doing.
Happy Halloween!Happy All Saints’ Day! Happy Castanyada! In two words: be happy 🙂
