Today is Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It has nothing to do with Halloween, and very little to do with All Saints Day. Although the day is usually associated with Mexico, it is also celebrated in Guatemala, Brazil, Spain, and parts of the U.S.
Read about the meaning and traditions of this holiday at IBTraveler. Link -via The Daily What
Day of the Dead is a time for friends and family to come together to honor those who have passed away. The holiday dates back to the time of the Aztecs who celebrated a festival dedicated to the "Lady of the Dead." Rituals of celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations for at least 3,000 years.
The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. In modern times, the celebration occurs on November 1 and 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls' Day (Nov. 2).
Read about the meaning and traditions of this holiday at IBTraveler. Link -via The Daily What
Halloween's Christian influences
Halloween is also thought to have been heavily influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (also known as Hallowmas, All Hallows, and Hallowtide) and All Souls' Day.[13] Falling on November 1st and 2nd respectively, collectively they were a time for honoring the Saints and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach heaven. By the end of the 12th century they had become days of holy obligation across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing bells for the souls in purgatory and "souling", the custom of baking bread or soul cakes for "all crysten [ christened ] souls".[14] It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints Day, and All Hallow's Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving onto the next world.[15] To avoid being recognised by a soul, Christians would wear masques and costumes to disguise themselves, following the lighted candles set by others to guide their travel for worship the next day.[15] Today, this practice has been perpetuated through trick-or-treating.[15]
Sounds pretty similar to me.