Happy Halloween! - Happy Hallowtide!
Allhallowtide is a name for the three days around the beginning of November: All Hallows’ Eve (October 31), All Saints’ Day (November 1), and All Souls’ Day (November 2). “Hallows” is an old word for holy people, or saints. The three days are connected, but they are not the same feast: together they invite Catholics to remember the holiness God gives, celebrate those who are with him in heaven, and pray for the dead.
October 31: All Hallows’ Eve
“All Hallows’ Eve” means the evening before All Saints’ Day—hence the familiar name Halloween. In the Church’s older tradition, a vigil was a time of spiritual preparation before a major feast; the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that a vigil for All Saints was observed early in the feast’s history.
Today, Halloween customs vary widely. For a Catholic understanding, the key point is its place on the calendar: it is the eve of a feast celebrating all the saints. Families may mark the evening with prayer, stories of saints, or a visit to church, while also making thoughtful choices about other customs.
November 1: All Saints’ Day
All Saints’ Day honors all the saints in heaven, not only those whose names are widely known or formally recognized by the Church. The feast arose in part because Christians wanted to commemorate the many martyrs and holy people who could not each have an individual feast day.
The saints are not honored as though they were independent sources of holiness. Catholic devotion to them ultimately points to God, whose grace made them holy. Their lives show that holiness is possible in many circumstances—not only in religious life, but in ordinary work, family life, and times of suffering. The saints are also understood as members of Christ’s Church who can intercede for us: Catholics ask them to pray to God on our behalf.
So All Saints’ Day is both a celebration and an encouragement: it gives thanks for God’s work in the saints and reminds us that we, too, are called to grow in holiness.
November 2: All Souls’ Day
All Souls’ Day is devoted especially to praying for the faithful departed—those who have died and are still being purified on their way to the fullness of life with God. Catholic teaching distinguishes this prayer for the dead from the celebration of the saints already in heaven. The Church’s tradition holds that our prayers, acts of charity, and especially the Mass can help the departed.
This is why All Souls’ Day is often associated with remembering deceased family members and visiting cemeteries. Catholics pray for the dead not because they have been forgotten, but because they remain part of the communion of the Church and are entrusted to God’s mercy.
The connection between the three days
Allhallowtide brings together three related thoughts: the saints give us examples of faithful lives; the dead are remembered in prayer; and everyone is called to hope in God’s promise of eternal life. The Church’s celebration of the saints is not simply admiration of admirable people. It is thanksgiving for the saving work of Christ in them. Pope Francis, preaching on All Saints’ Day, emphasized that the saints’ hope rests on Christ: they are saved through the Lamb, and their destiny points toward the hope Christians share.
A simple way to remember the days is:
October 31: prepare for the feast—All Hallows’ Eve.
November 1: celebrate all the saints in heaven—All Saints’ Day.
November 2: pray for the faithful departed—All Souls’ Day.
For a family, this might mean telling a child a saint’s story on November 1 and saying a prayer for deceased relatives on November 2. The heart of Allhallowtide is remembering that Christian life is lived in hope: the saints encourage us, and our prayers keep the departed close in love.
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