Devil, witch and goblin masks; vampire costumes, pumpkins, spider webs, outfits with thick horns and robes with tails that drag on the ground; That’s it “Halloween«, an ode to the saints of the night.
And it is that, although it is not a tradition in the Dominican Republiceach year its penetration into the culture of this country is more visible.
These demonstrations, which in the past were unimportant for Dominicans, are currently eagerly awaited by many; especially for those who like to share in establishments and nightclubs.
Despite the fact that the official day is October 31 of each year, since this Friday the amusement centers have held themed parties and special offers to attract those people who have adopted this tradition as if it were their own.
In many cases, this type of celebration has generated controversy in the media, especially from religious sectors that have never viewed such festivities favorably.
You just have to remember the Day of Halloween 2019 in the Dominican Republic when the “Lucifer Hell Fest” event was cancelled, which was to be held at the old Herrera Airport.
At that moment, the authorities removed the attendees from the place and arrested the organizer. The reasons they gave? Many claimed that this party would be dedicated to Satan.
The organizer of the “Lucifer Hell Fest”, Miguel Guzmán, denied the accusations and maintained that it was a merely costume event where exponents of urban music from Puerto Rico and the country would participate, including Bryant Myers, Kiko El Crazy, Rochy RD , Shadow Blow and two national DJs.
“At first we gave it the name Lucifer, we had a problem because we were going to do it in a sports academy, we had to move it to another space and change the name to Hell Fest and now it is called Party without a name, and we will do it on the land where it was. Herrera Airport”, the organizer explained at the time.
Halloween origin?
Those who do not know its true origin, usually associate it with the United States, however, far from this reality, this tradition had its genesis more than two thousand years ago in the warrior people of the Celts settled in the areas of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. For them, the New Year began on November 1 and the night of October 31 when they organized the pagan festival of Samhain (the lord of death, whose meaning literally was “end of Summer”).
According to consulted data, this town was convinced that the night before the New Year, the line that separates the world of the living from that of the dead, was erased, and they could return. In addition, the presence of the spirits made it easier for the druids (Celtic priests) to predict the future, which would help them cope with the harsh winter.
However, when the Roman Empire invades the Celtic people, the tradition is assumed by them, and its meaning changes.
Some time later, when Christianity spread, at a time when pagan festivals predominated, the Church replaced this celebration with a Christian festival, thus giving rise to All Saints’ Day (November 1).
Arrival in the United States
In the second half of the 19th century, with the immigration of Europeans to the United States, specifically in 1846, when the Irish Catholics arrived, they took the tradition with them, and the Americans began to dress up and visit houses asking for food and money. Hence, the famous phrase “trick or treat” is born, where children ask for treats on Halloween night. The marked influence of this celebration continued to cross borders and gain supporters. It should be noted that the tradition passed from Europe to the United States, then to Latin America and the Caribbean.
