Can white people celebrate Dia de los Muertos?

At this time of year, street vendors are full of marigolds on their stalls. The flowers will adorn several layers ofrendas-altars full of food, calaveras (or sugar skulls) and images of deceased loved ones. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition rooted in Mesoamerican culture and indigenous beliefs that honors the day when the souls of the deceased return to their families to celebrate. According to the Smithsonian Latino Center, the tradition goes back over 3000 years to rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The holidays serve as a time to uplift their spirits and their memories.

Mexican culture is on full display as people take to social media to share their offerings dedicated to grandparents, pets and even deceased celebrities. A TikTok video from a Houston teacher The display of mini-ofrendas her students created this year has been viewed more than 1.1 million times.

Although Dia de los Muertos is clearly of Mexican origin, similar traditions of honoring the dead exist in other cultures. In the Philippines, families observe Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead) or Undas on November 1 and 2, which coincides with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Filipino families gather at cemeteries to clean and decorate graves, light candles and share meals with their deceased loved ones – practices that reflect the spirit of connection and remembrance found in Mexican celebrations.

As the holiday becomes more mainstream, cultural appropriation has become a central point of discussion. The central question is: can white people celebrate Dia de los Muertos?

On October 21, Twitch streamer Ellie Kwho shared details of her pregnancy loss on social media, posted a video of herself crying, with the text overlaid: “I’ve seen so many people showing off their Ofrendas, and I want to make one for my babies, but I don’t know if it’s even right or how.”

The TikToker, who is from Norway, explained her connection to the tradition. “We don’t have the same way of reconnecting with deceased ancestors, but we prefer to remember them on All Hallows Eve,” she said. “I think many people who have lost a child can relate to the fact that remembering doesn’t feel like enough. We do that every day.”

Her journey began with an unexpected source: Disney’s ‘Coco’. “The reason I was intrigued by ofrendas is as simple as watching the Disney movie for the first time, and it gave me a longing, like that was something I was missing,” she said. “I’ve since learned that ‘Coco’ isn’t necessarily a completely accurate representation of what Dia de los Muertos is; But it really gave me peace.”

Despite her initial hesitation, she decided to seek guidance online. “I was frustrated, sad and scared, but I received love from so many people,” she said. “I have learned so much, and I see that others who are wondering the same thing have found peace in receiving your blessing.”

Not all responses were supportive. “Some people were skeptical and told them to ‘do my research and find something in my own culture,’” she said. “But I still haven’t found anything that resonates more than the ofrenda.”

The comments section yielded mostly supportive responses:

“Our culture is so rich and so beautiful that we literally share it with everyone, and there’s no reason why you can’t celebrate it,” @deadnova_ said in a video sting provide tips on what the grieving mother should do.

TikToker @darbyann7’s video thanking the Latino community for sharing their culture has been viewed 1 million times. On October 27, she posted a follow up videorecorded as she set up an ofrenda, setting out snacks for her dog and jewelry from her late grandmother.

Although Mexican-Americans have flooded the app with encouragement and support for white people wanting to participate in the holiday, not all responses have been positive.

“Historically, you ‘mayosapiens’ always steal the parts of our cultures that you can benefit from, whether that be financially, emotionally or whatever. Why can’t you just practice your own culture to honor your deceased loved ones? Why do you have to steal ours?” said @the.harm.in.harmony in a video posted on October 28.

The holiday has grown in popularity since Disney’s “Coco,” which depicted Dia de Los Muertos in a story that follows a young boy on his journey through the world. Land of the deadwas released in 2017. According to Termthe film earned $800.5 million worldwide at the box office, bringing the holiday to wider American audiences.

“It started becoming popular about fifteen years ago, but it was kicked into high gear by the immense popularity of Coco in particular, which broke box office records worldwide,” says Andrew Chesnut, PhD, professor of religious studies at the University of California . Virginia Commonwealth University and author of Dedicated to Death: Santa Muerte, the skeleton saint told Refinery29 in 2019.

This is not a new conversation. Such as Dia de los Muertos images such as sugar skulls and La Catrina have become more prominent, non-Latino participants have faced criticism. In 2016 actresses Hillary Duff and Ashley Tisdale were accused of cultural appropriation for wearing Dia de los Muertos-inspired sugar skull makeup for Halloween.

Is there a line between appropriation and appreciation?

Crystal Doradoowner of Verde holistic wellness studio in Chicago, says she has invited white clients in mourning to participate in Dia de los Muertos, including one whose young daughter lost a classmate to leukemia.

“I told her where to get everything and taught her how to grieve for her friend. Give her this,” Dorado said.

As the holiday continues to resonate across cultural boundaries, Mexican Americans largely welcome those who approach the tradition with genuine respect and a desire to learn. The key lies not in whether someone can participate, but in the way he or she does so.

However, she says there is a line between appropriation and appreciation.

“What people need to learn is that if you are going to love the culture, you have to love the people, and if you want to share the celebrations and experiences, you have to support the people,” Dorado said.

Like conversations about Black women’s hairstyles And smearing non-native individuals with white sageThe difficult aspect of these debates is that there is usually no clear and distinct line when participation goes too far.

“Cultural appropriation is not a black-and-white issue,” says Neal Lester, professor of English at Arizona State University and founder and director of Project Humanities. told the Staatspers in 2017. “We can’t use a checklist to determine whether something is cultural appropriation or not. You have to decide for yourself whether what you are doing is appropriate.”

Financial gain is often linked to the conversation. In 2019, Kim Kardahsian came under fire an attempt to trademark Kimonothe original name for her shapewear line, which was eventually changed to Skims after the backlash. Japanese social media users found the name and trademark disrespectful to the traditional Japanese garmentsubmission A petition against it. In the same way, Disney tried to get a trademark for ‘Dia de los Muertos’ in 2013, years before the film we now know as Coco was released.

“Our spiritual traditions are for everyone, not for companies like Walt Disney to trademark and exploit,” wrote Grace Sesma, who wrote in a Change.org. “I am deeply offended and dismayed that a family-owned company like Walt Disney would attempt to own the rights to something that is the rightful heritage of the people of Mexico.”

Because grief is universal, Dorado says those who want to respect traditions and the people who share them are welcome to learn from Mexican traditions about honoring the dead.

“I think it’s a gift that we have to give to the world about how to grieve,” Dorado said. “I know there’s a lot of buzz about it, but I think if you respect the culture and love the people, why not share it with the world?”