November 1st is not simply the day after Halloween. The date marks the beginning of Día de los Muertos, a multi-day holiday honoring and remembering deceased loved ones.

Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead has different origins. It began with the indigenous people of what is now Mexico, who traditionally believed in an afterlife and thought their loved ones could return to earth for short periods of time. The ninth month of the Aztec calendar celebrated Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of the dead who cared for their bones.

In Catholic tradition, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day fall on November 1st and 2nd. All Saints Day honors the legacy of saints and All Souls Day calls on members of the Catholic Church to pray for people in purgatory or purgatory to celebrate the lives of holy people who are not saints.

Historians believe that contact between colonial explorers from Spain and indigenous communities in Mexico led to a cultural fusion that gave rise to the Day of the Dead. The holiday is celebrated across much of Latin America.