Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day, Samhain, more

November 1st, 2011, is Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, All Saints Day Kite Festival, Samhain, Give Up Your Shoulds Day, National Cook for Your Pet Day, National Authors' Day, National Family Literacy Day, Revolution Day (Algeria), Independence Day (Antigua and Barbuda), Liberty Day (U.S. Virgin Islands), and National Deep Fried Clams Day.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated today and tomorrow in Latin countries and parts of the United States. Sugar skulls are common, as are parades. Some people give offerings to deceased relatives.

Just as the name implies, All Saints Day honors all saints, known and unknown. The day used to be known as All Hallows Day, which inspired the names for October 31st - All Hallows Eve or Halloween.

Guatemala hosts the All Saints Day Kite Festival at Santiago Sacatepéquez's cemetery today. The kites, true works of art, are burnt at the end of the day's contests.

Samhain, summer's end, brings the beginning of the dark season on the Celtic calendar.

Give Up Your Shoulds Day is a great idea, in general. Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks you should do. Do, however, listen to the voice in your head that says, "I should keep my eyes on the road while I'm driving, instead of reading text messages."

National Cook for Your Pet Day sounds like a good idea, I suppose, unless your idea of cooking is nuking a package of microwavable brownies. Dogs and cats shouldn't eat chocolate.

In honor of National Authors' Day, compile your list of favorite authors and share it with the world (or your friends). I'm partial to Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Ken Follett, and (at the moment) Ann Brashares.

Celebrate National Family Literacy Day by reading with your family, aloud or separately, then discussing what you've read. My tween and I are reading the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, then sharing our thoughts. That's why Ann Brashares is currently on my fave author list, as mentioned above.

Algeria celebrates Revolution Day on November 1st.

Antigua and Barbuda observes Independence Day today.

The U.S. Virgin Islands celebrates Liberty Day, honoring David Hamilton Jackson and the establishment of a free press.

If you'd like to add more seafood to your diet, but you're worried that it might be too healthy, here's the holiday for you. Celebrate National Deep Fried Clams Day!

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