Halloween, Day of the Dead, Samhain: Three “Other Worlds” in One Month

At the supermarket entrance the pumpkins are stacked waist-high, yet beside the checkout stands a row of skeleton candies. On the same shelf, three weeks later, they will be swapped for something else tied to the dead: marigolds and sugar skulls.

Three days crammed together

October 31 is Halloween. One of its roots is the Celtic festival of Samhain: the Celts treated this day as the meeting point of the end of summer and the new year, and believed that the boundary between the living and the other world was thinnest then. November 1–2 is Mexico’s Day of the Dead, inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

One to drive off, one to play, one to reunite

Samhain’s customs lean toward “driving off” and “offering”: lighting bonfires, setting out offerings, sending off what should be sent off. Halloween later turned into “dress up, knock, ask for candy,” turning fear into a game. The Day of the Dead, by contrast, is about “welcoming back”: building an altar (ofrenda), setting out photographs, scattering marigold petals to guide the way, and making sugar skulls with names written on them—not horror, but coming home.

Why we are willing to keep a place set

All three festivals fall in the same stretch of the year and deal with the same thing: the people we can no longer reach. The methods differ, but each of them needs a “date.” This is also where folklore gets interesting—it does not explain death, it simply sets a table.

If you want another way to sort out questions you cannot put into words (not mediumship, and not summoning), a lightweight spread such as the site’s Tarot is often used to help say things clearly; 占卜迷指’s process is: describe the trouble → the system recommends a method → it casts the chart, interprets it and exports the result.

Whoever sets an extra pair of chopsticks on the table knows exactly whom they are waiting for.

Information current as of October 9, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folklore and is intended for entertainment and self-reflection only. It is not medical, psychological, investment, legal or marriage advice. Do not submit ID numbers, detailed addresses or other sensitive personal information. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please see a doctor or consult a professional.

Sources

• Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead (Day of the Dead, inscribed on the Representative List in 2008) (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)
• History of Halloween (History.com)
• Samhain (Wikipedia · supplement)