Charles: Right, I'd forgotten Toussaint. But what do they do on Toussaint's Day? Do they dress up, or is it a church thing? I just heard that the Japanese have started celebrating Halloween like we do because some Americans didn't want their kids to miss out and had a parade and trick or treating. Thanks for all the info. about deer. The Halloween information I have is the other way around. Halloween and All Saints Day came from the Celtic new year Samhain. Like you say, the native cultures in Mexico, Central and South America also had celebrations regarding the dead. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) IS a very big thing where they even go to the gravesite and have a meal. I think I remember somewhere in Asia people are very into taking care of the gravesites and have very elaborate ones; almost like mausoleums.

I've added a thread called Halloween Origins with all the specifics so that the Halloween thread people (and anyone else) can see it. (And it was terribly long and seemed a bit preachy of me). Here's the short version. Info taken from an article by Eric A. Kimmel in the Oct 1980 issue of Cricket Magazine:

Celts: Samhain New Year Festival on Nov 1st Romans (1AD): Feralia Festival end of Oct. Indigenous Peoples: celebration of the dead Christians (800AD): All Saint's or All Hallow's Day (Nov 1st) and All Soul's Day (nov 2nd)

judy