All Saints & All Souls Day Activities
Catholics celebrate the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, back to back, on November 1 and 2, an alternative to the pagan celebration of Halloween. The Church began to celebrate All Saints Day after Christianity was legalized in 313 A.D., first on May 13 then the first day of November. The Feast of All Souls quickly attached itself to a variety of traditions, as the faithful venerated their saints on one day and prayed for the souls of the departed on the next.
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Focus on the Saints
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The Feast of the Saints focuses sermons and lessons on as many recognized Catholic saints as possible. Priests and nuns school congregants on the lives of the saints all through the year; however, that is the exclusive theme for an All Saints Day mass, typically followed by a meal with family and other congregants. Historically, this holiday tended to focus on the saints who came from a particular region or even congregation, but currently Church members honor saints from across the globe. See a description of each Catholic saint in the Resources section.
Other All Saints Activities
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Aside from a communal meal and mass, a range of activities are commonly carried out on All Saints Day, according to the Catholic Education Resource Center. Children select saints and make puppets to represent them. Priests and teachers talk about the lessons learned from the actions of the saints, particularly those with roots in the congregation.
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All Souls Masses
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As far back as 1042, the day after the Feast of All Saints has been the Feast of All Souls. The Catholic Education Resource Center notes that, in the 15th century, Dominican orders began a long tradition of each priest giving three masses on the Feast of All Souls, one on the theme of "intention", another to pray for the "faithful departed" and the third directed at God's intentions. The Benedictine orders later adopted this and it remains a common activity for the faithful.
Other All Souls Activities
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Depending on the location and culture of a particular Catholic church, different All Souls traditions may have taken root. In Mexico, for instance, families of the recently departed make garlands and crosses of real or fake flowers and place them on their family's graves in the cemetery. A widespread practice in Mexico and elsewhere is to robustly clean and decorate a family grave sites, often spending the entire day at the cemetery, with the priests visiting congregants. The visit often ends with candles being lit, one for each soul crying out from potential purgatory.
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References
Resources
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Comments
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I have attended for the last two years and have a great time. I love that the art centers and museums are also open that night. Come on out!
