What is Halloween different from Day of the Dead?

What is Halloween different from Day of the Dead? 

In search of Halloween history, I found similarity between Day of the Dead and Halloween. In both celebrations people dress up in costumes in the images of skeletons and death everywhere.  But the differences between two celebrations; Halloween is being afraid of the dead and Day of the Dead is celebrating the dead. 

Day of the Dead is from the Aztec culture in South American cultures.  It is a holiday for people to honor their ancestors and loved ones who have passed away and invite those spirits back into their homes.  They pay their respects to their loved ones by tending to their graves, cleaning up graveyards, planting flowers and trees and leaving offerings at the graves.  They build altars in their homes to honor their loved ones.  

This celebration is very similar to Korean Lunar Moon Harvest day.  It is one of the two Korean annual celebrating days.  On Lunar Moon Harvest day, all the families gather at their parents’ house, build altars and give offerings to the ancestors who have passed away. We also visit the graveyards and cut the weeds on the grave and plant flowers.  I found it very interesting that we have similarity in culture although we live in different area of the earth.  Maybe it is because we have one ancestor far back in the creation of the earth.  If we are from one ancestor, we are global family all in all.  Family is founded on the love and respect.  If we love and respect each other, world peace will be achieved. 

As a member of IPYG, I am proud of IPYG because the motto of IPYG is love and respect and we actively work for the world peace. I wish IPYG would be increased in order to make the world unite into true family.