All Souls' Day

All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2, is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead and for Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholic churches to commemorate the faithfully departed. Specifically, this day is often reserved to pray for souls still in Purgatory before entering heaven. Common customs include visiting and decorating tombstones, lighting candles, and the offering of Requiem Mass for the dead.

In some cultures, it was believed that the souls of ancestors would return to their family home on All Souls’ Night and great care was taken to make sure they felt welcome.