Halloween origins and how the world marks the season.
Tonight’s selection — check back for a different corner of the world each night.
On November 1, the town of Sumpango launches giant kites — some over 40 feet across — believed to carry messages to the souls of the departed. The higher the kite, the closer the connection. A festival of paper, wind, and remembrance.
Not a night to fear the dead — a night to welcome them home. Families build ofrendas covered in marigolds, sugar skulls, and the favorite foods of loved ones who have passed. The dead are believed to return for one night to visit. Grief and celebration in the same breath.
A three-day festival in the town of Dan Sai where locals wear enormous, brightly colored ghost masks made from coconut husks and rice steamers. The origin is part Buddhist merit-making, part harvest revelry. Loud, weird, and joyful — the exact opposite of the somber ghost.
On November 1, Portuguese children go door to door asking for "bread for God" — earning small cakes, nuts, or pomegranates in exchange for prayers for the souls in purgatory. This tradition traveled to Brazil and echoes in trick-or-treat.
A week after Día de los Muertos, families in La Paz bring human skulls — some kept in the family for generations — to be blessed at the cemetery. The skulls are called "ñatitas" and are believed to protect the household. Coca leaves, cigarettes, and flowers are offered in thanks.