Thick wafts of mist. A gray horizon. And trees becoming increasingly bare with their last remaining leaves swaying in the wind. The month of November is a master of creating a whole range of melancholy moods. Many therefore consider it the gloomiest month of the year – as it embodies that interim period between the paling of the brilliant colors of October and the onset of the magic that lies in anticipating Christmas. The fact that November is widely and literally associated with dreary days also has to do with certain customs and traditions which Catholics have been celebrating for centuries: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. These occasions are expressly devoted to the topics of farewell and grief, but also to positive memories. But, where did these Christian holidays originate? What distinguishes them? And, what to they both have to do with Halloween? We will get to the bottom of these questions.

From martyrs to all deceased faithful 

In the ninth century Pope Gregory IV finally moved the feast to November 1 - and for a reason that is as simple as it is practical: The fall, i.e. harvest, season provided the faithful with enough food to celebrate the feast. But, the season was certainly also a good match for the intended symbolism, as the visible transience of nature made the people more susceptible to the transience of our earthly existence. The feast thus opened the faithfuls’ mind to the vast hereafter. But that was not the only change made at the time: From now on, the focus of this day of glory was to be shared with professors of faith – and no longer be reserved exclusively for martyrs. By the way, the Orthodox Church still celebrates All Saints’ Day on the first day after Pentecost. In the Protestant Church, on the other hand, there is no such thing as sanctification, and the adjective “holy” is reserved for persons who set good examples for others in their faith and in their lives. Over the years, the interpretation of this holiday also underwent slight changes among Catholic Christians. One example is the practice of dedicating this commemoration day to departed members of the family, i.e. the deceased in general – which is why the two feast days of “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day” have become somewhat of a mix, as you will learn further down in this text. By the way, the traditional way for Catholics to commence the Feast of All Saints is by celebrating Mass followed by a visit to the cemetery. There, the celebrants decorate the graves, lights candles and pray for the departed.

All Souls’ Day: Praying for poor souls

One day later, on November 2, the faithful celebrate the Feast of All Souls. This day of commemoration has been in place since 998 and most likely hails back to the Benedictine monastery in the French town of Cluny, although some have suggested that it had been celebrated in Spain before. As the name suggests, the occasion is centered around all souls, i.e. the day has always been set aside for the commemoration of all faithfully departed. The vehicle of prayer is used to express the hope that God will accept their souls into heaven - and give them eternal life - after their death. This practice is rooted in the Catholic teaching that there is life after death – albeit only for the soul, as the body of the deceased will remain on Earth. However, the souls destined to heaven need to pass through purgatory – and prayers are supposed to help make this passing more expedient and eventually unite them with the community of God in heaven. In the past, there was also the superstition that the poor souls rose up from purgatory on the eve of All Saints’ Day to All Souls’ Day in order to find a few hours of respite from their torments they are being subjected to there. This is why we feel a mystical shudder when we think of All Saints’ Day.