Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day and All Souls Day - Cultural and Faith Based Days

Cultural and Faith-Based Days

The period from October 31st to November 2nd is rich with faith-based traditions and festive activities. From creative costumes and special foods to heartfelt remembrances of loved ones who have passed, these days offer meaningful opportunities to create lasting memories. Let’s explore the significance of each day.

October 31st - Halloween

Most people think of Halloween as a time to dress up in a costume and go out and get candy or play tricks on others. But the meaning of Halloween is the following:

• Hallow - which means Holy.

• Een - is the suffix of Halloween, which is the abbreviation of evening.

• Put it together, and Halloween refers to the Eve of All Hallows, the night before All Saints Day - the Christian holy day that honors saintly people of the past.

Halloween "originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween (History, 2024)."

To make your own family memories on Halloween

1. Carve pumpkins together and bake the seeds for a fun treat.

2. Make family themed costumes.

3. Put together little goody bags to give trick-or-treaters.

4. Watch a scary movie with older kids or create your own Monter Mash dance.

November 1st and 2nd - Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead Nov 1st & 2nd- Did you know that Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has its roots in ancient Aztec customs that predates Christian culture?  The Aztecs, Native Americans noted from the early 1300s to early 1500s, who established modern-day Mexico City, originally celebrated to honor the Lady of the Dead, Mictēcacihuātl, Queen of Mictlān (the underworld).  They believed Mictēcacihuātl was responsible for guarding the bones of the dead or past lives.  This was an important duty as the Aztecs held these bones were used to create new life (KU, 2024).  Each year, when the Lady of the Dead visited the land of the living, the Aztecs held festivities to show appreciation for her protection (KU, 2024). 

After the Spaniards conquered the region in 1521, the indigenous people were converted to Christianity.  The Spaniards did note their practice of celebrating the Lady of the Dead and started merging the Aztecs tradition with All Saints and All Souls Day (KU, 2024).  The fusion of these customs has resulted in the modern-day Dia de los Muertos.

Today, this holiday occurs on November 1st and 2nd, and families gather to remember and celebrate the memories of those who have passed away.

November 1st - All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day follows Halloween on November 1st - All Hallow's Day. It is a day for Christians to celebrate and honor both known and unknown saints (Episcopal Church, n.d.)

Symbols of All Saints' Day

• A bundle of wheat.

• The church uses the color white for this day.

• Rayed Manus Dei (hand of God).

• The crown.

• Symbols or images of saints

  (Time and Date, 2024)

The history of All Saints Day is not exactly known. Some sources will say it began in the fourth century when Greek Christians began to commemorate all martyrs and saints while others will say it was as early as 270 AD. Another suggested time this holiday was started was when Pope Gregory IV in 837 AD, made All Saints' Day a holiday on November 1 to offset the pagan festivals that occurred at that time (Time and Date, 2024).

People may celebrate this holiday by:

• Going to church.

• Families can talk about faith and the different saints they recognize.

• Give back to your community by doing some act of kindness as the saints would.

November 2nd - All Soul's Day

To complete the final day of this three-day sequence, All Soul's Day is celebrated on November 2nd. It is a time to honor the souls of deceased loved ones. These family members lived ordinary lives and because they died with lesser sins on their souls, they were waiting in purgatory till they were worthy to enter heaven. It is believed this observance began in the 10th century by a Catholic priest named Odilo abbot of Cluny (Britannica, 2023).

This is a perfect day to be with family and friends to remember those who have died. If you have never celebrated this day, this year is the perfect time to start. You can create meaningful family memories while honoring those who have died. It will help keep the history of your family and traditions alive as they are passed down from one generation to the next. Some ideas for the day could be 1) sharing stories of the deceased, 2) looking at old pictures, 3) making a favorite family meal together, or 4) visiting the cemetery to put flowers on the grave site. The ideas are endless but hopefully, they will cultivate more love for the family and its history.

We hope you embrace these days filled with faith, culture, history, and celebration - a time for fun and remembering loved ones who have passed. Share with us how you celebrated October 31st to November 2nd.

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, December 13). All Souls’ Day. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Souls-Day-Christianity

Episcopal Church. (n.d.). All saints day. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/all-saints-day/

History. (2024). Halloween 2024. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

KU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. (2024, October 30).  Día de los Muertos history. https://clacs.ku.edu/dia-de-los-muertos-history

Time and Date. (2024). All saints day. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/all-saints-day