Halloween Meets Día de los Muertos: Your Family’s Guide to October’s Magical Celebrations! 🎃💀

October is such a special month! It brings together some of the world’s most colourful and meaningful celebrations—Halloween’s playful spookiness and Día de los Muertos’ joyful remembrance. Let’s explore these amazing traditions together!

🎃 Halloween Fun Near You!

Guess what? Queensland communities are getting ready for some seriously fun Halloween celebrations! Here’s what’s happening close to home:

Free Events in Redlands

🎃 Gumtree Kids’ Halloween Bash
Tiny tots, big fun! A “not-so-scary” Halloween adventure for ages 6 months – 6 years at Wellington Point Farm. Costumes, giggles, and treats galore.

🦇 Halloween Science at Victoria Point Library
Make your own bat AND learn cool science stuff! This free workshop is perfect for curious kiddos. Book your spot here.

⛳️ Halloween Putt Putt at Alex Hills
Take on 48 holes of haunted fun at The Alexandra Hills Hotel! Dress up, enjoy free candy, and test your spooky skills.
👉🏽 Book your tee-time now!

🍷 Sirromet’s Antique & Collectable Fair
👉🏽 Treasure hunters unite! Explore vintage finds, enjoy local food and wine, and make it a weekend at Sirromet Wines. Kids under 14 go free!

👻 Redcliffe Festival of Frights
Check out the spooky markets for treats and fun! Follow @redcliffemarkets for updates.

🎃 Where Did Halloween Come From?

Halloween has the COOLEST history! Let’s travel back in time…

🔥 A Night Between Worlds

Thousands of years ago, people in Ireland celebrated a festival called Samhain (say it like “SOW-win”). They believed that on this special night, the boundary between our world and the spirit world became super thin!

People lit big bonfires and wore costumes—not to be scary, but to keep friendly spirits company and help guide them home. Pretty neat, right?

💡 Fun Fact: The word “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve”—the night before All Saints’ Day!

🍬 From Soul Cakes to Candy!

Here’s something awesome: trick-or-treating started hundreds of years ago in Europe!

Back then, kids and grown-ups would go door to door offering to say prayers for people’s loved ones who had passed away. In return, they’d get small cakes called “soul cakes.” Over time, this sweet tradition turned into the candy-filled Halloween we know and love today!

🎃 Why Do We Carve Pumpkins?

This is a fun story! There’s an old Irish tale about a tricky man named “Stingy Jack” who had to wander around forever with just a carved turnip to light his way.

💡 Fun Fact: When Irish families moved to America, they discovered pumpkins were WAY easier to carve than turnips! And they looked even cooler when lit up. That’s how jack-o’-lanterns were born! 🎃

💀 What Is Día de los Muertos?

Now let’s talk about something really special! Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a beautiful Mexican celebration that’s completely different from Halloween, even though they happen around the same time.

🌺 It’s All About Love and Memory!

Here’s what makes this celebration so amazing: it’s NOT sad! Instead of being scared of death, Mexican families throw a joyful party to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home for a visit. How cool is that?

The celebration happens on November 1st and 2nd, and it’s been around for hundreds and hundreds of years!

💡 Fun Fact: Día de los Muertos started with ancient Indigenous peoples in Mexico long before Spanish explorers arrived!

🌼 Building an Ofrenda (Altar)

Families create special altars called ofrendas decorated with:

• 🌼 Bright orange marigolds (called cempasúchil)
• 📸 Photos of loved ones who have passed away
• 🍞 Pan de muerto (sweet bread)
• 💀 Colourful sugar skulls
• 🕯️ Candles to light the way home
• 🍴 Favourite foods and drinks

💡 Fun Fact: The marigold flowers aren’t just pretty—families believe their strong smell helps guide spirits back home!

🎬 Have You Seen Coco?

If you’ve watched Disney-Pixar’s Coco (2017), you’ve already seen Día de los Muertos! The movie shows how Mexican families celebrate with music, colour, and love. It teaches us that remembering people we love keeps them alive in our hearts. 💙

🎉 What Happens During the Celebration?

Unlike quiet, sad memorials, Día de los Muertos is FULL of life!

• 🎵 Mariachi music fills the air
• 💃 People dance and tell stories
• 🍰 Families share pan de muerto and other treats
• 💀 Kids decorate sugar skulls with bright icing
• 🎨 Everyone dresses up in colourful clothes and face paint

💡 Fun Fact: The skeleton decorations are actually happy and dancing! They remind everyone that love is stronger than death.

🌏 Similar Celebrations Around the World

Did you know other cultures have special ways of honouring loved ones too?

In Samoa, families often bury their loved ones right on their property so they can visit them every day! They decorate the graves with beautiful gardens and leave gifts—just like the ofrendas in Mexico.

In Australia, we recently celebrated another beautiful festival of light…

🪔 Diwali: Another Festival of Light

Just a few weeks ago, our Redlands Coast community came together to celebrate Diwali! This Hindu festival is sometimes called the “Festival of Lights” and it celebrates good winning over evil.

Families light special lamps called diyas, make colourful patterns on the ground called rangoli, share yummy sweets, and set off fireworks! Our local celebration had traditional dancing, delicious Indian food, henna art, and kids got to make their own diyas.

💡 Fun Fact: Diwali is celebrated by millions of people across India, Nepal, and around the world for five whole days!

🌕 How Are Halloween & Día de los Muertos Connected?

Even though these celebrations come from different parts of the world, they share some beautiful things:

• 💡 Light is important: Jack-o’-lanterns and altar candles both help spirits find their way
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families come together: Whether trick-or-treating or building ofrendas, these are community celebrations
• 💖 Remembering is beautiful: Both traditions celebrate people who came before us
• 🍬 Food brings joy: From Halloween candy to Day of the Dead treats, sharing food is part of both!

Halloween says: “Let’s use our imaginations and have fun with spooky stories!”

Día de los Muertos says: “Let’s celebrate the people we love with colours, music, and happy memories!”

Both teach us that remembering can be joyful, not scary. 🌈

🎨 Let’s Make Something Together!

Ready for some crafting fun? Here are two easy projects your family can make at home!

🎃 Craft Time: Pumpkin Pal Lanterns

Let’s make friendly (not scary!) Halloween decorations that glow!

What You Need:

• 🧡 Orange paper cups or clean tin cans
• ⚫ Black paper
• ✂️ Scissors and glue
• 🕯️ Battery tea lights (super important—never real candles!)
• 🎀 String for hanging (if you want)

Let’s Create!

1. Make a Happy Face: Cut out hearts, stars, or triangles from black paper
2. Glue It On: Stick your shapes onto the cup to make a friendly face
3. Add the Glow: Pop a battery tea light inside
4. Name Your Pal: Give your Pumpkin Pal a name! Write a happy word underneath like “Joy” or “Kindness”
5. Display: Line them up on your windowsill or hang them as a garland!

💡 Fun Fact to Share While Crafting: Before pumpkins, people in Ireland carved turnips and potatoes for their lanterns! Can you imagine carving a potato? 🥔

🕯️ Craft Time: Memory Lanterns

This beautiful craft honours someone special or celebrates a happy memory!

What You Need:

• 🫙 A clean glass jar
• 🎨 Coloured tissue paper (orange, purple, pink, yellow)
• 🖌️ Glue
• 🕯️ Battery candle or fairy lights
• ✏️ Markers (if you want to write a name or draw symbols)

Let’s Create!

1. Cut Fun Shapes: Tear or cut tissue paper into stars, hearts, flowers, or any shape you like!
2. Decorate Your Jar: Glue the pieces all around, layering different colours
3. Let It Dry: Wait about 30 minutes
4. Add Light: Put your battery candle inside and turn it on
5. Think Happy Thoughts: Take a moment to remember someone you love or a happy memory

Ways to Use Your Lantern:

• 🌙 Gentle nightlight for bedtime
• 🍽️ Pretty centrepiece at dinner
• 🎁 Sweet gift for grandparents
• 🧘 Tool for quiet, peaceful moments

🎨 Free Colouring Pages!

We’ve got TWO special colouring pages just for you!