Day of the Dead

It is considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (next in importance to Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special non-working holidays (only November 1 is a regular holiday). Numerous discrepencies have emerged over the years, though the Lutz's continued claims that the book was essentially true help keep the legend alive in the public eye. Playing card games, eating, drinking, singing, and dancing are common activities inside the cemetery, apparently to cope with boredom. Weber had admitted that much of the story was created over "many bottles of wine" with the Lutz's [5]. Since its supposed to be about spending time with dead relatives, families usually camp in cemeteries – with some choosing to spend a night or two near their relatives' tombs. Weber" [4]. Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are offered. Weinstein dismissed the Lutz's claims, saying "it appears to me that to a large extent the book is a work of fiction, relying in a large part upon the suggestions of Mr.

It is seen as an opportunity to be with the departed and is done in a somewhat more solemn way. Weinstein. In the Philippines, it is called Araw ng mga Patay (literally, Day of the Dead) or Undas and has more of a "family reunion" atmosphere. District Court judge Jack B. In some parts of the country, children in costumes roam the streets, asking passersby for a "calaverita", a small gift of money; they don't knock on people's doors. Eventually, the claims against the news corporations were dropped for lack of evidence, and the remainder of the case was tried by Brooklyn U.S. Other special foods for Día de Muertos includes pan de muerto (bread of the dead), a sweet egg bread made in many shapes, from plain rounds to skulls and rabbits. Hoffman, Weber, and Burton immediately filed a countersuit alleging fraud and breach of contract.

Sugar skulls, inscribed with the names of the recipient on the forehead, are often eaten by a relative or friend. The story started to fall apart when the Lutz's filed suit against Paul Hoffman (a writer working on an account of the hauntings), William Weber (DeFeo's Lawyer), Bernard Burton, Frederick Mars (both clairvoyants who had examined the house), Good Housekeeping, New York Sunday News and the Hearst Corporation (who had published articles related to the hauntings), alleging invasion of privacy, misappropration of names for trade purposes, and mental distress. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (colloquially called calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for "skeleton"). The popular consensus today, however, among researchers of the incident is that "the facts depicted in the books (and the movies to follow) were written entirely as a profit making scheme" [3]. Theatrical presentations of Don Juan Tenorio by José Zorrilla (1817–1893) are also traditional on this day. The book and the subsequent movies were promoted as being based on a true story, and for a time Anson's word that "There is simply too much independent corroboration of their narrative to support the speculation that [the Lutzes] either imagined or fabricated these events" held. Newspapers dedicate calaveras to public figures, with cartoons of skeletons in the style of José Guadalupe Posada. On January 14, 1976, George and Kathy Lutz, with their three children and their dog, Harry, fled the house on 112 Ocean Avenue, leaving most of their possessions behind.

This custom originated in the 18th-19th century, after a newspaper published a poem narrating a dream of a cemetery in the future, "and all of us were dead", proceeding to "read" the tombstones. After getting in touch with Father Ray, he managed to convince George and Kathy to take some belongings and stay at Kathy’s mother’s house in Deer Park, for the time being until they sorted out what problems were in the house. Those gifted like to write "calaveras" – short poems mocking epitaphs of friends. To this day, events of this night have not been disclosed fully by any of the Lutz family, as they have described it as too frightening. Government offices usually have at least a small altar, as this holiday is seen as a valuable part of the mexican heritage. By mid-January of 1976, and after another attempt at a house blessing by George and Kathy, they experienced what would be their final night in the house. Public schools at all levels build altars with offerings, usually omitting the religious symbols. When taking his advice and walking around the house doing the Lord’s prayer each of the rooms, George and Kathy would hear a chorus of voices telling them “Will you please stop!”.

Traditionally, families may spend some time around the altar telling stories about the deceased relatives as well as spend time praying. When it was apparent to the Lutz’s that something was wrong with their house that they could not explain rationally, it was suggested by a friend of George’s, who had had similar experiences in his house, that he and Kathy do a blessing of their own and open all the windows in the rooms and tell whatever was there to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. These altars usually have the Christian Cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other persons, flowers such as marigolds, and many, many candles. Some of the experiences in the house for the Lutz family are as follows:. Some families do build altars or small shrines in their homes. Each family member would experience different things as individuals which made such a profound psychological effect that it was difficult to explain them to even other family members that lived in the house, and it was like they “were each living in a different house”. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. The instances of paranormal activity were later described as being “in a three-ringed circus”.

Some people believe the spirits of the deceased eat the spirit of the food, so even though they eat the food from the ofrendas after the festivity, they think it lacks nutritional value. Occurrences were subtle and escalated as time went by. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods and beverages dedicated to the deceased. The sensations in the house experienced by the Lutz family did not happen at an accelerated pace instantly. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Because they planned to use the room as a “sewing room” nothing else was mentioned of it, until much later after George and Kathy had fled the house. These include wreaths of an orange marigold (also referred to as Flor de Muerto, the "flower of the dead", in Spanish, or zempoalxochitl, (twenty-flower) in Nahuatl, a term that has been carried into modern Mexican Spanish as cempazúchil), which are thought to attract the souls of the dead toward the offerings; toys, brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels); and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Instead he told them he felt uncomfortable in that room and would prefer it if nobody spent too much time in that room.

Wealthier families build altars in their homes, but most simply visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings. When leaving the house, Father Ray did not mention this incident to either George or Kathy, more than likely because he did not wish to cause them unnecessary concern. During the period of October 31 and November 2 families usually clean and decorate the graves. Much later, after fleeing, George and Kathy learned from Father Ray that when blessing a particular room on the second-storey, which would be referred to as the “sewing room” (formerly Marc and John Matthew DeFeo’s bedroom), he discovered an unnatural coldness in this room, and heard an unearthly voice telling him to “Get Out!” Startled by this, Father Ray was subsequently slapped by an unseen force. Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods that will be offered to the dead. Father Ray arrived to do the house blessing on the day the Lutz’s were moving in and as they busily unpacked outside he went in and performed the house blessing. The souls of children are believed to return first on November 1, with adult spirits following on November 2. Being an ecclesiastical judge at the local Catholic establishment, Father Ray was not in the habit of doing house-blessings but since he and George were friends, he was doing it as a favour.

Indigenous people of the Americas often would outwardly adopt the European rituals, while maintaining their original native beliefs. George only knew of one Catholic priest, named Father Ray, who was also a close friend, who agreed to do the house blessing. This is an example of syncretism or the blending of a significant event from two different cultural traditions. Kathy was a non-practising Catholic at the time and explained the process. The Spanish combined their custom of All Souls' Day with the similar Mesoamerican festival, creating the Día de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead. At the time George was a non-Catholic (at the time he was a non-practising Methodist) and had no experience with what a house blessing entailed. All Saints' Day is the day after Halloween, which was in turn based on the earlier pagan ritual of Samhain, the Celtic day and feast of the dead. When a friend of George’s learned of the house he insisted George have the house blessed.

When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in America in the 15th century they were appalled at the indigenous pagan practices, and in an attempt to convert the locals to Roman Catholicism moved the popular festival to the beginning of November to coincide with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls days. They moved in on December 18, 1975. The festivities were dedicated to the celebration of children and the lives of dead relatives. After family discussions, it was agreed that it was not an issue. Festivities were presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as the "Lady of the Dead". During their first inspection of the house the realtor told them about the DeFeo murders the previous November and asked if this changed their opinion on wanting to purchase the house. The festival which was to become Día de Muertos fell on the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, near the start of August, and was celebrated for the entire month. Kathy had three children from a previous marriage and a black Labrador named Harry.

It was common practice to keep skulls as trophies and display them during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. George and Kathy were married in July and had their own houses, however they wanted to start a new life with a new home, for a new marriage. Rituals celebrating the lives of dead ancestors had been performed by these Mesoamerican civilizations for at least 3,000 years. The house on 112 Ocean Avenue remained empty for 13 months until late 1975, when George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the 2 ½ floor house. The origins of the celebration of The Day of the Dead in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, such as the Aztec, Maya, Purepecha, Nahual and Totonac. He was convicted of second degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence. . DeFeo's attorney pursued that line of questioning during the trial, only to have it backfire on him when DeFeo testified that he had not heard any voices the night of the murders [2].

In Mexico, despite the morbid subject matter, this holiday is celebrated joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day, the mood of The Day of the Dead is much lighter, with the emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, rather than fearing evil or malevolent spirits. However CourtTV's account of the murder case makes no mention of these claims, implying that DeFeo in fact did not contest his confession until the trial [1]. It is a public holiday in Brazil, and a large number of people celebrate it there typically by visiting cemeteries and churches, taking flowers, lighting candles, and praying. He also claimed when killing his parents the weapon made no sound when firing it. This time is especially notable in Mexico where it is primarily viewed as a public Mexican holiday, and it is also celebrated in communities in the United States with large populations of Mexican-Americans, the Philippines and to a lesser extent elsewhere in some countries of Latin America. DeFeo also claimed to have seen shadow figures moving about the house during the murders. The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or, simply, Día de Muertos in Spanish) is a Catholic celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors that is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints) and November 2 (All Souls). The popular story of ensuing events is that DeFeo’s original claims were that the murders were mob-connected had changed to “hearing voices,” demonic possession, and being handed the murder weapon, a .35 calibre Marlin hunting rifle, by a “pair of black hands”.

“A Crack Between the Worlds.” Commonwealth 122 (1995) : 13-16. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the only surviving member, claimed that they had been murdered by the mob until he confessed to the murders. Roy, Ann. On November 13, 1974, police found that all but one of the members of the family residing at 112 Oceanside Ave., the DeFeo's, had been murdered in the middle of the night. < http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/history/ >. Main Article: Ronald DeFeo, Jr. 1 Nov 2004. The Lutz family, having lived in the house for only 28 days, fled their house with very few belongings, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomenon.

Day of the Dead – History. Thirteen months earlier the house on 112 Ocean Avenue was the scene of a brutal mass murder. Miller, Carlos. Both book and film revolve around the Lutz family, who move into the Dutch Colonial home in the village of Amityville, a New York City suburb on the south shore of Long Island, New York village. Catholic 62 (1997) : 50. . “Death Takes a Holiday.” U.S. The novel is also the basis of two movies made in 1979 and 2005.

Garcia-Rivera, Alex. The Amityville Horror was a best-selling 1977 novel by Jay Anson. Catholic 66 (2001) : 38-41. The Amityville Horror (2005 film). “Death Takes A Holiday.” U.S. The Amityville Horror (1979 film). Conklin, Paul. Later it was theorized that it could have been “Jody”.

Great Britain: The Bath Press, 1991. When he raced upstairs and to her room there was no sign of this mysterious entity. The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico. While checking the boathouse one night, George saw a pair of “red eyes” looking at him from Missy’s bedroom window. Sayer, Chloe. When he got downstairs the noise would stop. Carmichael, Elizabeth. George would hear what was described as a “German marching band tuning up” or what also sounded like a clock radio playing not quite on frequency.

“The Day of the Dead, Halloween, and the Quest for Mexican National Identity.” Journal of American Folklore 442 (1998) : 359-80. Nobody else heard these sounds even though it was loud enough to wake the house. Brandes, Stanley. He would race downstairs to see the dog sleeping soundly at the front door. In it, the dead live in a world of their own, resembling the one they had in life. George would be awoken by the sound of the front door slamming when there was no door slamming. The 2005 film Corpse Bride was also influenced by this holiday. The Lutz’s youngest daughter, Missy, developed an imaginary friend named “Jody” who it was later discovered was not so imaginary and who it would be discovered could change form from a little boy to a demonic pig-like creature.

In this movie, poor farmer Macario meets Death himself, and receives a gift from him. There were cold spots and strange odours of scented perfume and excrement in certain areas of the house where there were no wind drafts or any piping whatsoever to explain a source. The renowned Mexican motion picture Macario starts on this day. This room had a profound effect on their dog, Harry, who refused to go near it and cowered away as if sensing something negative there. However this Day of the Dead draws upon Celtic mythology in reference to the calendar. The room was referred to as “the red room”. In the novel The Grey King by Susan Cooper, a rhyme states that Will Stanton's quest will begin "On the day of the dead, when the year too dies". This did not show up on the blue prints of the house.

This scene is inaccurate, since Puerto Rico, the place where the scene is set, does not celebrate el Día de los Muertos. Kathy discovered a small hidden crawl space behind shelving in the basement, the walls painted red. The film Assassins, starring Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas, has a scene that takes place during a Día de los Muertos procession. Kathy would feel a sensation as if “being embraced” in a loving manner, by an unseen force. The climax of the 1996 motion picture The Crow: City of Angels takes place during the Day of the Dead. These details were later confirmed when they met with Ronald DeFeo’s defence attorney. The finale of the second season of Dead Like Me revolves around and includes the myths of this day, such that the reapers (death) appear as they did in life. Kathy would have vivid nightmares about the murders, and discovered which order the murders occurred and who was shot where.

Barbara Hambly's novel Days Of The Dead (2003) sets its climax on this day in 1835. Later it would be learned that it was the estimated time of death with the DeFeo murders. The climax of the motion picture Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) is set amidst a parade that day. George would wake up around 3.15am every morning and then would go out to check the boathouse. The 1998 Babylon 5 episode "Day of the Dead" is centered around an alien tradition with a more literal interpretation of the Mexican holiday's "returning spirits". They are part of a work of literature alleging supernatural events and have not been independently verified by impartial research. Backdrop to an episode from Season 1 of Carnivàle.. This section contains allegations of events that support the contention that the house was actually haunted.

The intended title for the game was "Deeds of the Dead". This section contains information that is a part of the public record separate from specific allegations of supernatural events which form the heart of the book and movies. The main character is named "Manny Calavera", and is an skeleton in a formal suit. The 1998 Tim Schafer computer adventure game "Grim Fandango" is set on this day in the land of the dead and includes many allusions to the celebration, as well as other aspects of Mexican folklore. The climax of the animated film The Halloween Tree (1993) occurs after an explanation of the Day of the Dead.

The motion picture Bound by Honor (1993) uses the Day of the Dead to emphasize and to illustrate some of its plot points. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) by Tennessee Williams the Mexican woman selling 'Flores para los muertos' is a symbol of the way death seems to haunt the character of Blanche DuBois. The novel Under the Volcano (1947) by Malcolm Lowry takes place in on this day in a fictionalized Cuernavaca, Morelos.