Kids everywhere are trying on costumes, teens are stocking up on toilet paper and eggs, and the old lady down the street has already purchased that horrendous peanut butter candy with the black and orange wrappers (the kind I used to trade for apples with razor blades). This can mean only one thing– Halloween is just around the corner! At least, it is for those of us in the UK, US, and Canada (and elsewhere).

Of course, not everyone in the world has the same ardent desire to celebrate paganism and the occult. Over at the San Francisco Chronicle’s online travel section, Christine Delsol explains Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is celebrated on November 1 and 2, primarily in Mexico and other Latin American countries. She writes that the holiday “illustrates the Mexican people’s uniquely fatalistic yet eternally optimistic philosophy toward life and death.” She continues:

To northern visitors, locals streaming to cemeteries laden with flowers, candles and food baskets may appear quaint or, at the other end of the spectrum, morbid; in fact, the Day of the Dead is a profoundly serious occasion frequently celebrated with great joy — an expression of the belief that death is not the end of life but the continuation of life in whatever world comes next.

The article also offers information about Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico that are well worth visiting, including those in Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Mérida.

This site has still more information about the holiday, including its history, some photos and recipes, and more Dia de los Muertos-related merchandise than you ever could (or would) want.