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Halloween, All Hallows Eve, All Saints, All Souls...What's the Diff?

Submitted by David Turney on 2 November 2008 - 4:21pm

I've been asking around lately to see what the popular understanding is of these seemingly related, but slightly distinct holidays.  There are quite a range of answers out there about the exact nature of the relationship between Halloween (31 Oct)--aka All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day (Nov 1), All Saints Sunday (Nov 2), and All Souls Day (Nov 3).

Blurry at best, I'm afraid.

This guy seems to have all the answers.  Have a read.  I certainly learned some things.  May your thanksgiving for that "great cloud of witnesses" who have gone before us be enriched and may your thanksgiving for them, in turn, enrich your life in Christ Jesus.

All Saints and All Souls
FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS

What are the origins of All Saints and All Souls Day. Are these linked with paganism and Halloween?

Both the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. However, elements of pagan practices were perhaps “baptized” by some cultures or attached themselves to the celebration of All Saints and All Souls....

...With the spread of Christianity and the establishment of All Saints Day, some of these pagan customs remained in the English speaking world for All Hallows Eve (or Halloween, All Saints Eve), perhaps at first more out of superstition and later, more out of fun. Nevertheless, All Saints Day clearly arose from genuine a Christian devotion. 

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David Turney's picture
Submitted by David Turney on 3 November 2008 - 7:56pm.

Here's a well-written (she's an English teacher after all) post on All Saints & All Souls by Susanne Barrett, a parishioner and blogger up at Blessed Trinity, Alpine.

http://meditativemeanderings.blogspot.com/2008/11/all-saints-and-all-sou...

Subscribe to her blog if you don't already.  I find it quite uplifting.

David Turney
Site Editor

Submitted by Derek (not verified) on 5 November 2008 - 10:23am.

In the old Roman general calendar (still used in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite), when All Souls Day (Nov. 2) fell on Sunday, it was moved to Monday because All Saints had higher priority; consequently, in those years, All Saints was celebrated on 2 days.

This was thrown away with a lot of things during the 1960s though. In the current Roman general calendar, All Souls (officially now Commemoration of the Faithful Departed) has enough weight to bump All Saints if Nov. 2 is on a Sunday. So most Catholics only participated in liturgies related to All Souls day this year. This is the default btw in the US, although any bishop could have decided to make All Saints day a holy day of obligation for his flock -- but only on the actual day, Saturday.

[Interesting aside, next Sunday (9 November) in the Roman calendar is another feast that will bump the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time in the whole of Latin Christendom: The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (Latin Rite Catholics' mother church). This is the only dedication day that rises to such an honor (which is normally reserved to feasts of the Lord, feasts of the apostles, and feasts of the BVM and her most chaste spouse).]