This weekend is effectively when most people are going to be celebrating Halloween, which particularly in Massachusetts is something that is cause for celebrating-as if we needed another reason. It's an incredibly fun weekend for college kids in particular:

It also coincides with one of the more interesting festivals and celebrations I'm aware of, El Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Here's a summary:

To summarize, it isn't just Mexican Halloween, in fact, it used to be an Aztec celebration, which is in a way similar to Halloween which obviously was generated by Paganism. On the other hand, what Halloween celebrates is completely different than what the Day of the Dead, which is effectively a reminder of those we have lost, on one day the children, and the next, the adults. It's a Halloween that is rich in Mexican culture, and one that is incredibly interesting if I do say so myself:

It's a great celebration of life, whether it be those that have lost theirs or those that are still with us. It's also not nearly as corporate as Halloween, to which I say that because despite having celebrated it my entire life, I don't really know it as anything other than an excuse to dress up as whatever, get candy and, just in general, have fun. I don't mean to say that as if that's a bad thing, by the way, it's great. On the other hand, it's cool to at least be aware of these celebrations as well, especially when it's another reason to celebrate.