All Souls' Day

A day of prayer and remembrance for all who have died.

When: 2 November

Origin and history

All Souls' Day is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, those who have died. In the West it is the third day of Allhallowtide, after All Hallows' Eve and All Saints' Day. Before Odilo of Cluny standardised 2 November in the 10th century, many congregations kept the day on various dates during the Easter season.

Customs

Visiting and decorating family graves with flowers and candles.
Special prayers and services for the dead.

How traditions differ

All Souls' Day is kept by Catholics, Lutherans and parts of the Anglican Communion. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches still remember the departed on other dates, especially on Soul Saturdays.

In the library

Works: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

More in After Pentecost

Trinity Sunday · Corpus Christi · Nativity of St John the Baptist · Sts Peter and Paul · Michaelmas · All Hallows' Eve · Reformation Day · All Saints' Day · St Martin's Day (Martinmas) · Christ the King

Sources checked: All Souls' Day (Wikipedia); All Saints' Day (Wikipedia).