For those of you not raised in Catholic-adjacent traditions, you might not know that Halloween is actually part of a larger group of holidays, centered around the soul. This is a very brief introduction to those holidays.
While not every Christian religion necessarily observes all three (as many denominations don’t recognize saints), elements may appear in the Sundays surrounding this time of year (whenever they’re not busy running a Hell House, anyway.)
All Hallow’s Eve
That’s Halloween to you, mister!
This initially began as evening vigils and fasting (generally just abstaining from meat) for the following feast day. Over time, the traditions for All Hallow’s Eve turned more towards revelry than a more solemn observance. Which isn’t actually all that uncommon when fasting is involved (here’s lookin’ at you, Shrove Tuesday and Fish-Fry-Fridays!)
All Saints’ Day
Let me just get this out of my head right now. Whew. Okay.
On November 1, The Feast of Saints recognizes the saints (and in some traditions, martyrs).
Over time, many celebrations have conflated or combined All Souls’ and All Saints’; this also became an opportunity to honor deceased relatives in some areas, or to exchange little food gifts.
All Souls’ Day
If All Saints’ Day was set aside to recognize the saints, All Souls’ Day was meant to recognize… well, everybody else. Generally, it is viewed as a time to honor dearly departed faithful Christians.
The focus on souls seems to hone in on those stuck in Purgatory for Catholics. Bells are rung to comfort those souls while candles are lit to give them light in the darkness.
November 2nd is when children might go souling, looking for those little food gifts in exchange for prayers. Some also take this opportunity to clean, decorate or re-consecrate relatives’ grave sites.
Día de los Muertos
Celebrated from October 31st though November 2nd, this celebration is similar to Hallowtide in many thematic ways, but the overall vibe is less solemn and more celebratory. There are so many wonderful traditions associated with this holiday, from ofrendas to sugar skulls.
Aspects of this holiday mirror celebrations held by the Aztec people. Those pre-columbian traditions were merged with Christian Allhallowtide celebrations, which then evolved in local communities into something unique and special to Latinx communities.
If your area holds a Day of the Dead celebration and you’re able to attend, you absolutely should. It gives you a beautiful way to connect to death (and life.)