In the month of October as the ghosts and monsters come out of hiding, people apparently assume that the Day of the Dead also causes resting souls to come out. Although these two events occur on the same day, October 31, they mean totally different things.

Halloween originated from Gaelic traditions as a festival that celebrated the end of the harvest season. On the last day of October, children go trick-or-treating, where they’ll get all types of sweets. People also dress up in costumes as they go door to door. Symbols of this festive day are pumpkins, ghosts, or scary looking creatures. Foods eaten on Halloween include cookies shaped as ghosts, pumpkin pie and most importantly, candy. On this day, we also take advantage of watching and creating horror movies or literature. Halloween is used also to frighten others with haunted houses or scary effects that create unrealistic characters.

Day of the Dead is a holiday that is of Mexican origin, but it is now also celebrated in Latin America and the United States. On these days, family and friends who are dead are remembered and celebrated. On this occasion, cemeteries are visited and offerings such as sugar skulls or candles are left. People also may create private altars at their home where they would leave water and the favorite food of the celebrated one. Symbols of this day are obviously skulls and also flowers such as marigolds. In festivals for the Day of the Dead, people have their faces painted as skulls with colorful flower-crowns or clothing. People may wear shells on their clothing because it is said that the sound of the clacking shells will wake up the dead. The Day of the Remembered is a holiday meant to learn how to accept the fear of living along the side of death.

Although these two holidays include symbols of skulls, The Day of the Dead remembers the one’s who have passed away, and that right there has nothing to do with the day of horror.