Getting Toasty with Ghouls and Ghosties

Head south of the border for Halloween’s biggest party. November 2 is the Day of the Dead in Mexico, a cultural celebration rich in tradition. The graveyard setting may spook you out, but they certainly come to life during this annual festival. On el dia de los muertos, the deceased are welcomed to hang with the living; altars are covered with food, and tombstones are draped with colorful gifts.

Closer to home, check out the annual Halloween exhibit at the Met in New York. This month, Travel and Leisure reports on "The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult" (Sept. 27–Dec. 31). The exhibit shows how affiliates of the 19th-century Spiritualist movement sought to prove the existence of beyond-the-grave communication. Apparently you can even see ghosts in the pix! I’m so there.