North America

United States of America: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States and Canada, is an event in which families get together and collectively give thanks for their blessings. This celebration usually includes a dinner consisting of stuffed turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. The generally accepted origin of Thanksgiving is a similar gathering of the Pilgrims and the Native American Wampanoag tribe in 1621.

Mexico: Día De Los Muertos

The line between living and dead is blurred during the Mexican celebration Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead. In spite of its dismal name, this event is actually very festive: Mexicans believe that, on this day, the souls of their lost loved ones are brought back to the living world for a single night. To welcome them, the families prepare offerings at gravesites or ofrendas, such as their favorite foods.

United States of America: Halloween

Every year on October 31, people dress up in colorful costumes, carve jack-o-lanterns, and go door to door in search of treats and candy. This holiday is known as Halloween and originates from All Saints Day, which took inspiration from a Celtic festival called Samhain. Halloween is wildly popular in America and incites joy (and even fear) in people of all ages.