Skeletons. Skulls. Typical signs of Halloween, right? Well ... don't be too quick to draw that conclusion.

Celebrations for El Dia de los Muertos (or the Day of the Dead) incorporate these symbols as well, but such festivities -- which have garnered a fan base in Indianapolis -- bear no resemblance to touring haunted houses or watching horror movies.

Observed Nov. 1 and 2, Day of the Dead honors the memory of those who have died and celebrates their lives. "Its history lies in indigenous cultures of the Aztecs," says Laura Alvarado, director of outreach programs for the Indianapolis Art Center, which conducts an annual Day of the Dead celebration. "When they were conquered by the Spanish, there were various traditions that blended. And out of that came Day of the Dead."

Veronique Briscoe-Beuoy, multicultural program coordinator for the Indiana State Museum, said "(The Spaniards) kind of combined the celebrations that were done by the indigenous peoples with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. And so it's an interesting commentary on how groups can come together and collaborate." Today, residents of Mexico traditionally visit cemeteries to decorate the graves of loved ones; they also create in-home altars for the same purpose, Alvarado says. "For one day and one night, adults are remembered on Nov. 2. The day before, Nov. 1, it's the soul of the children. It's just a great way to invite symbolically the spirit back for one day, share stories about the people who have died, remember them and celebrate their lives."

Although many people associate Day of the Dead exclusively with Mexico, other countries also observe the holiday -- from Brazil and the Philippines to some Asian and African communities. While customs and observances differ among cultures, the purpose remains the same. "This is about family," Briscoe-Beuoy emphasizes. "This is about honoring people who made you who you are."

So, while many of the symbols (skulls, skeletons) associated with the holiday may seem scary on the surface, their intent is far from frightening. Sugar skulls, for example, are decorated and placed on altars to represent those relatives who have died. And the skeletons?

"In Mexico, the skeletons are always smiling ... They try to promote this idea that death is not the end, that 'Let's not be fearful of it, let's embrace it,'." says Robin Williams, manager of the Garfield Park Arts Center.

Want to learn more about Day of the Dead? Check out these local celebrations, which incorporate art, activities and more.

Indianapolis Art Center

Where: 820 E. 67th St. When: 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Cost: Free. Information: (317) 255-2464 or www.indplartcenter.org.

The Art Center's Day of the Dead celebration, which debuted in 2000, has grown into the city's largest observance of the holiday, says Laura Alvarado, the center's director of outreach programs.

Last year, 2,500 visitors turned out to join the festivities. On Saturday, Alvarado expects to see 3,000 touring the center and its Broad Ripple grounds. "What we've found through the years is not only do we engage the Latino community, but because everyone shares in a common experience of death, we're able to bring all groups together, people of all backgrounds," she explains.

At the heart of the Art Center's celebration is a series of 18 indoor altars and 15 outdoor shrines created by local artists, area residents, community groups, schools and the like. Some of these memorials feature traditional elements (multiple tiers, sugar skulls and cut-out paper banners called "papel picados") while others take on a contemporary bent with "more of an artistic, creative edge," Alvarado says.

"We have some (people) who have been here doing the altar exhibition every year since we started. For them, it's a great way to add that creative spirit as well as honor someone that's passed."

Sugar-skull artist Miguel Angel Quintana will discuss his work and that of his family -- Quintana is a fourth-generation artist and resident of Puebla, Mexico -- as well as sugar-skull traditions in general. His creations will be available for purchase.

Those feeling especially artistic can make their own sugar-skull tributes as part of the day's hands-on activities. They also can dye papel picados to take home and design mosaic tiles inspired by the artwork of Jose Guadelupe Posada, a Mexican printmaker known for his animated skeleton drawings created in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

"He is considered the father of Day of the Dead," Alvarado says, "so we'll be using some of his characters in the middle (of each art piece) and then add foam tiles around them to create a mosaic."

The celebration will include students from the University of Indianapolis collecting recorded stories from visitors about loved ones who have died; performances by Ensamble Folklorico Indianapolis, No Exit Performance Company, and Mexican folk band Sones de Mexico of Chicago; food from Adobo Grill and Tamale Place. A mercado (market) will sell traditional Day of the Dead merchandise, as well as handcrafted handbags.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art

Where: 500 W. Washington St. When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with a mariachi band from 1 to 2 p.m. Cost: Included with museum admission ($8 adults, $7 seniors 65 and older, $5 children ages 5 to 17, free for ages 4 and younger). Admission fee not required for Discovery Junction activities on Canal Level. Info: (317) 636-9378 or www.eiteljorg.org.

For the last several years, the Eiteljorg has lined up a variety of family-friendly activities designed to serve as an easy introduction to the Day of the Dead, says Linda Montag-Olson, manager of the museum's Education Center.

"I think a lot of people really don't have a sense of what it is, so this is a comfortable place to come and find out more."

Kids jump right in at Discovery Junction, on the Canal Level, crafting colorful skull masks and skeleton-butterfly puppets. All ages are encouraged to create a petite ofrenda (small altar) to take home.

"It's really personal," Montag-Olson says. "This will be the second year that we're doing the altars to take home, and people really seem to enjoy it."

Visitors also are encouraged to contribute to the museum's public altar by adding tissue-paper flowers and personal notes.

Two films depicting Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexican villages will play continuously. "People can get a real sense of what ... the Day of the Dead is," Montag-Olson says.

Garfield Park Art Center

Where: 2432 Conservatory Drive. When: 10:30 a.m. Saturday (parade); 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 2 (altar exhibition opening). Cost: Free. Info: (317) 327-7066. At Garfield Park, strolling of a different type takes the spotlight as adults and children join in a lively parade filled with music and art.

On Saturday, the band Mariachi Zelaya will lead a colorful procession from Garfield Park to the Shelby Street Library in a reflection of Day of the Dead parades held in Mexico, says Robin Williams, manager of the Garfield Park Arts Center.

The fun continues at Shelby Street Library, with family activities that include craft projects. Students from the University of Indianapolis will also be on hand to read Day of the Dead-themed stories.

On Nov. 2, the focus shifts to adults when the Garfield Park Arts Center opens its monthlong altar exhibition. In keeping with the theme of honoring the dead, two area artists will present tributes to Katrina victims. Herron School of Art graduate Ivory Wilson Teague has donated "Katrina's Wardrobe" to the Arts Center. The 17-foot-long funnel-shaped piece consists of clothing reminiscent of Katrina victims. Artist (and Arts Center instructor) Glenn Walker will show two paintings that also deal with Katrina's aftermath. The trio of works, says Williams, "is going to be very provocative ... I'm from New Orleans ... I was there the day before (Katrina) hit. I was able to get out in time ... (But) there were some people -- friends and family -- that I lost in the hurricane. So (the current works) are really touching. That's something that's going to be unique to our exhibit here."

Indiana State Museum

Where: 650 W. Washington St. When: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday. Cost: Included with museum admission ($7 adults, $6.50 seniors age 60 and older, $4 ages 3 to 12). Info: (317) 232-1637 or www.indianamuseum.org.

This celebration focuses on kids -- and plenty of them show up to take advantage, says Veronique Briscoe-Beuoy, multicultural program coordinator for the Indiana State Museum.

Past Day of the Dead celebrations have drawn as many as 1,200 school-age children.

Still, the public is welcome to attend the event, which centers on educational programs and activities, including sugar-skull decorating and the creation of ofrendas (altars), paper flowers and calacas (clay skeletons that are painted and placed in shadow boxes).

Games and bilingual storytelling also keep youngsters interested and involved, as does an 11:30 a.m. parade through the museum. "We'll have a few people here in costumes ... and then the kids will just join in," explains Briscoe-Beuoy. "A guitarist (Roberto Montenero) will lead us around."

An addition to the 2007 celebration will be a discussion of monarch butterflies, which migrate to Mexico during the winter months. "Monarchs symbolize the soul and its return to Mexico, so in the fall ... it's perfect timing," Briscoe-Beuoy says.

Although the day's activities are geared toward children, even casual museum visitors quickly become intrigued. "People who are just in the museum that day, they can't help but be absorbed into what's going on," says Briscoe-Beuoy.

That interest is key to a larger understanding of state residents, she adds.

"I think that it's important to celebrate all the cultures that make up Indiana ... Indiana is made up of many immigrant groups ... And so, over the years, we've incorporated celebrations and traditions that all of those groups have ... It's an example of what it really means to be ... an American citizen: to be able to incorporate lots of different elements of traditions in life."