No. Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is not the same as Halloween. Halloween falls on October 31 and leans into costumes, fright, and mischief, while Day of the Dead is observed mainly on November 1–2 as a Mexican tradition of honoring deceased loved ones with ofrendas (home altars), graveside visits, food, music, and celebration.
According to National Geographic, the two holidays sit close on the calendar but differ sharply in tone: Day of the Dead emphasizes love, respect, and life-affirming joy rather than terror. Its modern form blends pre-Hispanic Nahua ideas of death as part of life’s continuum with Catholic All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day observances.