As we all know, October 31st is around the corner and I am sure that many of us are bouncing around ideas for costumes. I absolutely love Halloween and all that it entails – tricks, treats, and especially costumes. Do you want your costume to be scary, sexy, empowering, strong, or comical? There are so many options! Everyone wants their costume to be classic and original without being too off the grid. The bottom line – Halloween costumes are extremely difficult to plan. Yesterday I was browsing through Pinterest trying to come up with ideas when I came across the sugar skull, or calavera de azucar. The girl in the picture was wearing a beautiful flower crown with half her face painted as a white skull decorated with vibrant flowers, hearts and other intricate designs. My thought process – “Oh, this is really cute! I never see anyone dressed as a sugar skull for Halloween! This would be super easy and inexpensive.” I added the costume idea to my ongoing list of ideas (everyone knows you cannot have just one costume). Last night I checked my email and caught up on The Skimm and Bitch Media. As I was scrolling through Bitch Media, I came across the “Feminist Snack Break: This is What Cultural Appropriation Looks Like” with the subheading “Newsflash: Dia de los Muertos and Halloween aren’t the same thing.” My jaw dropped a little bit after reading the subheading. I proceeded to the link and reviewed its contents. I continued to do a little more research about Dia de los Muertos and calaveras de azucar. Prior to reading the article, I knew the major differences between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday to commemorate the lives of past loved ones, whereas Halloween is a holiday full of celebration and superstition where everyone dresses in costumes and trick-or-treats or parties with friends, family and even strangers. Through my research, I learned a little more information on the significance of calaveras de azucar. Calaveras de azucar are used to decorate Dia de los Muertos altars and they are given as gifts to the living. Dressing up as a sugar skull for Halloween sends all the wrong messages. Not only would I be disrespecting the holiday Dia de los Muertos, but I would also be disrespecting all the lives lost that are being commemorated on that sacred day. It is a slap in the face to all who celebrate the holiday and have lost those closest to them. Overall, no one should use the symbol of the sugar skull unless it is an accurate representation. It should not be used for individualistic gain, because it is considered a ‘cute, inexpensive Halloween costume’. We all make mistakes, even those with the best intentions. The best rule of thumb is that if you question whether or not something is cultural appropriation it probably is what you think. Listen to your doubts. Want to check your privilege and avoid cultural appropriation? See the link below. http://www.refinery29.com/2015/10/95646/halloween-cultural-appropriation
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