Halloween or The Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead, Halloween, Finaos – all these celebrations deal with otherworldly things and with our fear of what is beyond the final line. Humour always helps. So does dressing up, which is a great Halloween tradition. You could dress up as Kitty Soft Paws from the 2011 Puss in Boots movie, for example:

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Kitty Soft Paws, Puss in Boots‘ sexy sidekick. Image source here. Kitty Soft Paws was voiced by the Mexican-born Salma Hayek and the Puss in Boots, of course, by the Spanish-born Antonio Banderas.

And I’ve got just the perfect pair of boots for the costume. What Kitty Soft Paws would say “no” to so much patent leather elegance?

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Teela” patent leather boots with lacquered buckle and 5 cm heel. By Farrutx FW16-17.
day of the dead
The most seductive boots of the season: “Teela” black patent leather boots by Farrutx, currently at 358 Euros on Farrutx website.

Halloween is akin to the MexicanDay of the Dead“. “Day of the Dead” celebrations take place right after Halloween, on November 1st and 2nd. This is the day on which people in Mexico and in some parts of the United States remember their dead relatives and other departed by erecting altars in their honor.

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This “Day of the Dead” altar features a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo. Image courtesy IG @paradisepao IG.

A typical “Day of the Dead” celebration in Mexico would include a visit to the cemetery. In the Canary Islands, Spain, on the evening of October 31st (which is also the eve of the All Saints’ feast day ) people gather in homes or public squares to roast chestnuts, drink sweet rum, and listen to the most elderly woman of the house tell stories about the departed. The departed are referred to as the “finados“, or “those who have found their end“. These commemorations are therefore known as “Los Finaos“.

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Roasted chestnuts: a tradition of Los Finaos in the Canary Islands of Spain.

 Happy Halloween (Finaos, Day of the Dead)!

Ann

(Featured image courtesy of YOOX)

 

 

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About Me

Ann Mailsi is a writer and social media buff based in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. Her interests include fashion, technology, and nature adventures.

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