| Read time: 8 mins
As today is October 31st, may we wish a very Happy Halloween to all who celebrate.
Its origins, as you may know, lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the huddled masses celebrated the turn of harvest into the long, dark days of winter, and the veil between the living and the dead wore thin.
Bonfires were lit to ward off spirits and costumes donned to avoid being recognized by wandering souls, while food offerings were given to appease the dead and ensure a good harvest the following year.
Following waves of Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century, these traditions merged with local customs and evolved over a century or two from rural superstitions to neighbourhood-friendly events.
To now, with the ubiquitous iconography of trick-or-treating, bowls of candy, jack-o-lanterns, having made its way back to Ireland and Europe via a proliferation of US pop culture.
And while Halloween has its roots in ancient festivals, it has evolved into a widely recognized cultural event - one that naturally draws interest toward themes of remembrance, history, and storytelling.
For cemeteries, this season offers a unique opportunity to engage the public, educate visitors, and reframe perceptions of cemetery spaces. Heritage trails, themed tours, ‘spooky’ family ghost walks, to name just a few of the ways these spaces may be brought to life.
But Halloween isn’t the only tradition taking place at this time of year - there are a number of others, that in sharing etymology, are often conflated.
What they all do is provide a platform for communion and connection. A coming together of cultural and religious practices, beliefs and traditions - and a reflection of our human need to honor the dead.
And in this way, they all to greater or lesser extent, help to recontextualize the role of cemeteries and where they become gathering places, rather than silent places - places for the living rather than solely places for the dead.
And so for cemeteries, this season offers a unique opportunity to engage, to educate, to foster community engagement and reframe perceptions of cemetery spaces - from guided reflections and blessing ceremonies, to cultural events that celebrate life, heritage, and continuity.
Let’s look at that in practice.
Also taking place this weekend, and very much, ‘not the Mexican halloween’, Día de los Muertos, is an important holiday originating in Mexico and celebrated in other areas of Latin America, as well as in areas of the United States.
Traditionally observed on or around November 2nd, it’s believed that dead ancestors and friends return for several days as joyful souls coming back to eat, drink and be merry with loved ones in celebrations full of life, happiness, color, food, family, music, dancing and fun.
Outdoor markets sell special bread, flowers, pottery, baskets, candles, paper puppets, candy skulls, and more. The main symbols of the holiday are skulls (calaveras) and skeletons (calacas), and many dress up as La Catrina, the lady of the “elegant skull”.
And in this way, far from being a somber event, Día de los Muertos transforms cemeteries and burial grounds into spaces of community, storytelling, and connection.
Such is the case with several PlotBox customers, who’ve been creating unique events that are helping them to do all of these things - to connect with their communities, and open minds to new, shared, culturally rich experiences.
For Forest Home, an urban green space Cemetery & Arboretum in Milwaukee, their Day of the Dead festival is just one of the many ways in which they share their space with their community.
They’ve utilized their natural space and rich history to bring people into the cemetery through a range of interactive activities, including environmental educational programs, bird watching groups, memorial tree planting, reenactments, and historical walking tours.
Starting small in 2018, their free, family-friendly Día de los Muertos Festival and 5K Run Walk is continuing to grow in popularity.
Being important to include members of the local neighborhood, they invited Latinas to be part of their event committee, providing direction to ensure that it’s carried out with a real idea of their traditions.
It includes food trucks, traditional dance, sugar skulls, arts and crafts for children; and families are given the opportunity to create altars to the dead on the graves of their relatives.
Taking over a popular local run and combining it with Día de los Muertos has allowed Forest Home to gain sponsorship and generate revenue, helping it to remain sustainable as an ongoing concern.
For over 100 years, Inglewood Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California has reflected the diversity of cultures, faiths and traditions of the people in their local area.
As, ‘The Soul of the City of Angels’ they hold a special place at the center of the Los Angeles community, and the many ways in which they continue to provide a voice for and engage with their local community.
Calendar events such as Memorial Day and Mother’s Day continue to bring large numbers through their gates, with thousands attending to pay respects and visit the graves of loved ones. Visitors are then greeted by counselors well placed in tents placed around the park to help provide directions and answer queries.
This symbiotic relationship between Inglewood and the people they serve is highlighted with their Día de los Muertos event, which they have been conducting over the past decade.
Interestingly, when first held, they received questions from families of those interred who weren’t familiar with the event - curious to know what it was about, what it represented and why skeletons were appearing across the cemetery. That created an opportunity for dialogue with families and to explain the tradition’s history and significance.
Visitors can now go around the entire park, with Catrinas and a Catrin, participate in Community Altars, take pictures under a remembrance tree, take part in arts and crafts, enjoy a mini-mercado, and much more.
Having booths onsite where staff can provide information on choices and options, as well as costs and preplanning helps Inglewood to maximize the pre-need opportunity, generate leads and provide a valued service to visitors.
As well as being a cemetery, funeral home and cremation service provider, Hollywood Forever is an important cultural hub for the Los Angeles area.
Founded in 1899, it’s home to the oldest memorial park in Hollywood, as well as the studios of Paramount Pictures, and is the final resting place of hundreds of Hollywood legends - from Judy Garland to Chris Cornell.
Hollywood Forever has used its space as a cultural event center that continues to attract large numbers of visitors, with an events program full of events such as concerts, literature events, lectures, and more.
This year, they once again host their annual Día de los Muertos - the largest celebration of its kind in the United States. The key is to provide a memorable experience in a setting that is culturally authentic, and an opportunity to learn of the importance and significance of the tradition.
As the cemetery comes alive with a colorful and vibrant procession, featuring hundreds of Aztec ritual dancers. Highlights include over 100 altars, musical performances, art exhibitions, as well as arts and crafts, food vendors and children’s project areas.
But the observances as we move from October to November don’t end there.
Also falling on or around the Christian observance period of ‘Allhallowtide’, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days [historical relations to Halloween - or All Hallows Eve], are of particular significance for the 1.4 billion catholics worldwide [although, it should be noted, that it was reinstated into the Church of England calendar in the late 1920s].
As a special time of reflection and gathering, All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day are meaningful ways for cemeterians to engage with their communities.
All Saints’ Day, typically marked on the Sunday following November 1st, is a time to honor all saints and martyrs - both those officially recognized by the Church and others whose lives embodied faith and goodness.
In many Catholic and Christian communities, cemeteries mark the day with special masses or blessings held at cemetery chapels or among the graves, with candles and flowers placed on graves to honor those who lived exemplary lives and family gatherings, and where visitors pause to remember their loved ones, and reflect on the shared hope of eternal life.
In contrast to Day of the Dead, or indeed some of the activities of a more ‘secular’ bent carried out around Halloween, the atmosphere is often one of quiet reverence and gratitude, with cemeteries serving as sacred spaces where the living and the dead are symbolically united.
The following day, All Souls’ Day, is dedicated to praying for all the ‘faithful departed’.
Here, we see commemorative services where names of the deceased are read aloud or written, candlelight vigils at dusk, creating a moving landscape of flickering lights, visits to graves, often led by clergy walking through the cemetery, accompanied by families and community members.
In many countries such as Poland, cemeteries are at their most vibrant during this weekend, with paths lined with flowers, candles glow into the night, and families come together to clean, decorate, and celebrate the lives of those they’ve lost.
From Halloween to All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, and through the colorful celebrations of Día de los Muertos, the turn of November represents moments of celebration and reflection, across cultures and faiths.
On that note, it would be remiss to not also acknowledge Diwali - the Hindu festival of lights, falling between October and November - a global celebration marked by the lighting of lamps (or diyas), fireworks displays, the exchange of sweets and gifts, the decorating of homes and much more.
For cemetery managers, this time of year is an opportunity to open the gates - literally and symbolically - to the wider community, inviting people to see cemeteries not just as places of final rest, but as vibrant, shared spaces for culture and connection.
Halloween’s curiosity, All Souls’ prayerfulness, and Día de los Muertos’ joyful remembrance may look different, but all serve to bring people together. Cemeteries can acknowledge and optimize these traditions in a number of ways:
In creating community remembrance events that blend cultural storytelling, candlelight vigils, and family participation;
Fostering collaborations with cultural and faith groups to showcase diverse ways of honoring the dead;
Developing educational programs and guided tours that help visitors understand the deep historical and spiritual roots of these days.
To come full circle, these observances remind us that cemeteries are for the living as much as for the dead. They’re places where history, stories, art, traditions even and nature come together - spaces that can offer comfort, learning, and belonging.
You may even want to think about how you can utilize your space in new ways.
Why not:
Create family-friendly reflection areas or temporary installations where visitors can write messages, light candles, or add to a community altar or memorial space;
Encourage return visits throughout the year by introducing seasonal walks, art exhibits, or history trails;
Partner with schools and local groups to connect new generations with heritage and remembrance practices.
As we said, by engaging communities during this season of remembrance, cemeteries can build public trust and interest, strengthen a sense of local identity and belonging, ensure cemeteries remain relevant, and become valued spaces within the fabric of community life.
So while Halloween may draw curiosity, All Souls’ Day inspires prayer, and Día de los Muertos brings color and celebration, each of them, in their own way, provide cemeteries with a profound opportunity to remind people that these sacred spaces are not just places for the dead, but places that hold and nurture the living, too.
Unearth the secrets to transforming your historic grounds from a final resting place into a community destination with our Cemetery Tourism webinar: