Between Halloween and Día de los Muertos, fun-and-serious events that honor the dead abound this week.

The ancients called it “memento mori” – a reminder that you, and everyone, must eventually die. Today we traditionally check in with our inevitable mortality and honor those who have already passed during three calendar days – Oct. 31 (Halloween), Nov. 1 (Day of the Dead) and Nov. 2 (All Souls Day).

It’s important to get cozy with the idea of death, whether that takes the form of a party, lighting a candle for someone who has passed or even getting in touch with the paranormal. For those three days, the communication channels between the living community, and the community of those who were here before us are open, with the hope that the dead get the message – no communication outside of assigned days, please.

Halloween and Day of the Dead treats, such as pan de muerto (now available in local bakeries), used to be baked to avoid paranormal pranks. A motif of souls being pacified by sweet bread recurs in various cultural traditions as far back as the Greek Cerberus, the guard dog of the underworld, whose three snouts (as Virgil reports in Aeneid) can be distracted by honey cakes. Since that famous trick, sweets have been offered to anyone who may cause mischief: ghosts, spirits, children.

Halloween parties are planned all across the county – see Hot Picks for a selection of options.

Día de los Muertos, meanwhile, will be celebrated at the Plaza de Watsonville at 4pm on Friday, Oct. 28; with a concert by Monterey County Pops! at Sherwood Hall in Salinas at 7pm Saturday, Oct. 29; and with an arts workshop at Hartnell College in Salinas at 6pm Monday, Oct. 31.

At Hartnell, deceased loved ones will be celebrated with ofrendas (offerings at an altar), a procession, calaveritas literarias (poetry), food, music, and arts and crafts. “We are inspired by Día de los Muertos artists, musicians, and community members who show us how to honor those who have died and celebrate the joys they brought to our lives,” said Siobhan Greene, president of an event co-organizer, the nonprofit Hospice Giving Foundation.

Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville is also hosting its annual exhibit inspired by the holiday: Mi Casa es Tu Casa; Life Changes, Life Continues, la vida cambia, la vida continua. At 1pm on Sunday, Oct. 30, the curators invite the community to consider the aftermath of the pandemic by exploring the themes of home, work, gatherings, health and spirit.