All Souls’ Day, also known as Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. It is a day of prayer that is observed by Catholics and other Christian denominations every year on November 2.
In other words, it is the day when Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholic churches commemorate and remember the souls of those who have died.
The Day is also called Feast of All Soul’s Day. Defunct’ Day in Hungary, France Italy, and Ecuador, and Day of The Dead in Mexico.
What is All Souls’ Day?
The aim of All Soul’s Day is to remember and pray for the souls who are in Purgatory, it’s a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls who are expiating their sins before going to heaven.
Must Read: Mexican Festival: The Day of the Dead
History of All Soul’s Day
In Christian tradition, All Souls’ Day was popularized by French monks who designated a specific day for remembering the dead in 998 AD. It started as a local feat but soon spread throughout the Catholic Church during the next century.
Traditions
In some places, All Soul’s Day is customary to see the play Don Juan Tenorio. Paper mache and sugar skulls are popular as are coffins made of cardboard from which a skeleton is made to jump out. Special masks are also worn by some.
“Calaveras” is also popular. They are obituaries published in verse style in local newspapers. These verses are descriptive of the character of the individual, who may be dead or even alive, for that matter, and the services rendered by him/her towards the community. These obituaries are generally jovial in character.
Catholics Tradition
Traditional Catholics still honor the customs related to the relief of the souls suffering in purgatory. One custom is for persons to pray for six Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s for the intentions of the Pope in a church. This action may be repeated for another soul, by leaving the church and re-entering it to repeat the prayers.
Lighted candles signify love
Another custom is to keep as many candles burning as the number of the recently deceased that are to be remembered. Lighted candles signify that the love, hope, and joy they shared with people they had left behind.
It is believed that during the night, the deceased, leave their tombs and return to visit their homes where the buckets of water are left uncovered so that they are able to quench their thirst. The dead return to their coffins at the first rooster’s crow. In some places, the bells knell all night.
Mexico Tradition
In Mexico, they celebrate All Souls Day as el Dia de Los Muertos, or “the day of the dead.” Mexicans visit graveyards and the relatives make garlands, wreaths, and crosses of real and paper flowers of every color to place on the graves of deceased relatives the morning of All Souls. They also have a picnic, eat skull-shaped candy, and leave food out for dead relatives. The family spends the entire day at the cemetery. The pastor will visit the cemetery, preach and offer prayers for the dead and then bless the individual graves.
Philippines Tradition
In the Philippines, they celebrate “Memorial Day” loosely based on All Souls Day. Customs include praying novenas for the holy souls and ornately embellishing the graves of the relatives. On the eve of All Souls (i.e. the evening of All Saints Day), partiers go from door-to-door, requesting gifts and singing a traditional verse representing the liberation of holy souls from purgatory.
Hungary Tradition
In Hungary the day is known as Halottak Napja, “the day of the dead,” and a common custom is to invite the orphans into the family and distributing food, clothes, and toys among them.
Poland Tradition
In rural Poland, a legend developed that at midnight on All Souls Day a bright light shone on the local parish. This light was said to be the holy souls of the departed parishioners gathered to pray for their release from Purgatory at the altars of their former earthly parishes. After this, the souls were said to return to scenes from their earthly life and work, visiting homes and other places.
Tradition in Louisiana
In Louisiana, the relatives whitewash and clean the tombstones and prepare garlands, wreaths, and crosses of real and paper flowers to decorate them. In the afternoon of All Saints, the priest processes around the cemetery, blessing the graves and reciting the Rosary. Candles are lit near the graves at dusk, one for each member of the deceased. On All Souls Day, Mass is usually offered at the cemetery.
Chinese tradition for All Soul’s Day
Chinese traditions on the celebration of All Soul’s Day have is quite similar to those of the Catholics. Floral offerings, fruits, and other foodstuffs are being offered to the souls. There is a belief that they (souls) too share in that simple feast. Two sticks of Chinese “incense”, instead of candles, are lighted for the souls while three are said to be offered to God.
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