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The Commemoration of
All the Faithful
Departed (All Souls'
Day) is always November
2.
All Souls' Day, also
known as the
Commemoration of all the
Faithful Departed, is a
Roman Catholic day of
remembrance for friends
and loved ones who have
passed away. This comes
from the ancient Pagan
Festival of the Dead,
which celebrated the
Pagan belief that the
souls of the dead would
return for a meal with
the family. Candles in
the window would guide
the souls back home, and
another place was set at
the table. Children
would come through the
village, asking for food
to be offered
symbolically to the
dead, then donated to
feed the hungry.
The day purposely
follows
All Saint's Day in
order to shift the focus
from those in heaven to
those in purgatory. It
is celebrated with
masses and festivities
in honor of the dead.
While the Feast of All
Saints is a day to
remember the glories of
Heaven and those there,
the Feast of All Souls
reminds us of our
obligations to live holy
lives and that there
will be purification of
the souls of those
destined for Heaven.
The Christian holiday
of All Souls' Day pays
respect and remembers
the souls of all friends
and loved ones who have
died and gone to heaven.
The living pray on
behalf of Christians who
are in purgatory, the
state in the afterlife
where souls are purified
before proceeding to
heaven. Souls in
purgatory, who are
members of the church
just like living
Christians, must suffer
so that they can be
purged of their sins.
It is a time to pray
for their souls that
they may be received
into Heaven.
Upon death, it is
believed that souls have
not yet been cleansed of
sin. Praying for souls
of loved ones helps to
remove the stain of sin,
and allow the souls to
enter the pearly gates
of heaven. Through
prayer and good works,
living members of the
church may help their
departed friends and
family. There are three
Requiem Masses that are
said by the clergy to
assist the souls from
Purgatory to Heaven: one
for the celebrant, one
for the departed, and
one for the pope.
The traditions of the
Feast of All Souls began
independently of the
Feast of All Saints.
The Feast of All Souls
owes its beginning to
seventh century monks
who decided to offer the
mass on the day after
Pentecost for their
deceased community
members. In the late
tenth century, the
Benedictine monastery in
Cluny chose to move
their mass for their
dead to November 2, the
day after the Feast of
all Saints. This custom
spread and in the
thirteenth century, Rome
put the feast on the
calendar of the entire
Church. The date
remained November 2 so
that all in the
Communion of the Saints
might be celebrated
together.
Many customs are
associated with The Day
of the Dead celebration.
In the home an altar is
made with an offering of
food upon it. It is
believed that the dead
partake of the food in
spirit and the living
eat it later. The
ofrendas (offerings) are
beautifully arranged
with flowers such as
marigolds (zempasuchitl),
which are the
traditional flower of
the dead. There is a
candle placed for each
dead soul, and they are
adorned in some manner.
Incense is also often
used, and mementos,
photos, and other
remembrances of the dead
also adorn the ofrenda.
It is also
traditional in some
areas to see the play
Don Juan Tenorio. Paper
mache and sugar skulls
are popular, as are
cardboard coffins from
which a skeleton can be
made to jump out.
Special masks are also
worn, allowing a person
to achieve a facial
expression for which
they feel they are
inadequate to achieve.
Traditional Catholics
still honor customs
related to the relief of
the souls suffering in
purgatory. One custom
is for persons to pray
six Our Fathers, Hail
Mary's and Glory Be's
for the intentions of
the Pope in a church,
and thereby, receive a
plenary indulgence for a
soul in purgatory. This
action may be repeated
for another soul, by
leaving the church and
re-entering it to repeat
the prayers.
All Souls' Day lives
on today, particularly
in Mexico, where All
Hallows' Eve, All
Saint's Day and All
Souls' Day are
collectively observed as
"Los Dias de los Muertos"
(The Days of the Dead).
First and foremost, the
Days of the Dead is a
time when families
fondly remember the
deceased. But it is also
a time marked by
festivities, including
spectacular parades of
skeletons and ghouls.
In one notable
tradition, revelers lead
a mock funeral
procession with a live
person inside a coffin.
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