Abstract

This article focuses on a comparative study between the Okinawan and Mexican worldviews of the holiday to honor the spirits of the ancestors, Kyū Bon (Old Bon) and Día de Muertos (Mexican Day of the Death). This article analyzes the strong implications that colonial processes had on Okinawan and Mexican collective imaginaries, developing a particular syncretism between indigenous idiosyncratic myths and colonialist forms and knowledge. By focusing on the processes of enrichment and transformation, this study expands the usual perception and understanding of national culture and identity, from the framework of Cross-Cultural Studies as an articulating device. Thus, these reflections are incorporated to explain how these rituals, traditions, and celebrations have been preserved to this day.