All Souls' Day in United States

All Souls’ Day in the United States is dedicated to prayers for the dead. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated on this day. Many western churches annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2 and many eastern churches celebrate it prior to Lent and the day before Pentecost.

Some churches have special services for All Souls' Day.

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What do people do?

All Souls’ Day in the United States is a day of prayer for deceased souls. Many Christians visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried.  Some cemeteries offer candles to be placed on these graves. The candles are blessed and marked with the names of the deceased to be placed at the designated grave sites. The Catholic Church remembers deceased members of the congregation on this day.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)is celebrated in many parts of the United States, particularly where there are large Latin American communities. Day of the Dead events, which come in the form of festivals, parades and group celebrations, are held on November 1-2 to coincide with All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day. During these celebrations some people wear masks, carry signs, or put up elaborate decorations to honor the dead. Some community centers invite people to commemorate their deceased loved ones with ofrendas (offerings) through alters that include food, symbols, flowers, candles, photos and other mementos. Altars in memory of the dead are also made in people’s homes.

Public life

All Souls’ Day is not a public holiday but people who live in cities where Day of the Dead parades, festivals and celebrations are likely to occur may need to check traffic reports on possible traffic congestion or blocked streets.

Background

All Souls’ Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity. It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. Today the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Although All Souls’ Day is observed informally by some Protestants, it is primarily a Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox holy day.

The Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back to the various indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs and other pre-Hispanic civilizations, from as far back as 3000 years ago. Skulls were collected and used during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.

Symbols

The skull, which symbolizes death and/or rebirth, is used for All Souls’ Day. With regard to the Day of the Dead, elaborately decorated skulls, including those made of candy, are made for the day. The Marigold is a traditional flower that is associated with the dead. Some say that the flower represents the rays of the sun, which is linked with life, so the deceased have not lost their place in the universe. The raven and the crow have both been linked with death, although some say that the crow tends to be confused with the raven, which they claim is the true symbol associated with death.

About All Souls' Day in other countries

All Souls' Day Observances

Related holiday

• All Saints' Day ―Friday, November 1, 2013

Other holidays in November 2013 in United States

• All Saints' Day ―Friday, November 1, 2013
• Daylight Saving Time ends ―Sunday, November 3, 2013
• Diwali/Deepavali ―Sunday, November 3, 2013
• Muharram/Islamic New Year ―Tuesday, November 5, 2013
• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict ―Wednesday, November 6, 2013
• World Science Day for Peace and Development ―Sunday, November 10, 2013
• Veterans Day ―Monday, November 11, 2013
• World Diabetes Day ―Thursday, November 14, 2013
• World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day ―Thursday, November 14, 2013
• International Day for Tolerance ―Saturday, November 16, 2013
• World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims ―Sunday, November 17, 2013
• International Men's Day ―Tuesday, November 19, 2013
• Universal Children's Day ―Wednesday, November 20, 2013
• Africa Industrialization Day ―Wednesday, November 20, 2013
• World Philosophy Day ―Thursday, November 21, 2013
• World Television Day ―Thursday, November 21, 2013
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women ―Monday, November 25, 2013
• First Day of Hanukkah ―Thursday, November 28, 2013
• Thanksgiving Day ―Thursday, November 28, 2013
• Black Friday ―Friday, November 29, 2013
• American Indian Heritage Day ―Friday, November 29, 2013
• Presidents' Day ―Friday, November 29, 2013
• International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People ―Friday, November 29, 2013
• Lincoln's Birthday ―Friday, November 29, 2013