All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day, also calledThe Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed,is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed,observed byChristianson 2 November.InWestern Christianity, includingRoman Catholicismand certain parts ofLutheranismandAnglicanism, All Souls' Day is the third day ofAllhallowtide, afterAll Saints' Day(1 November) andAll Hallows' Eve(31 October).Before the standardization of Western Christian observance on 2 November by St.Odilo of Clunyin the 10th century, many Roman Catholic congregations celebrated All Souls' Day on various dates during theEaster seasonas it is still observed in theEastern Orthodox Church, theEastern Catholicchurches and theEastern Lutheranchurches. Churches of theEast Syriac Rite(Assyrian Church of the East,Ancient Church of the East,Syro-Malabar Catholic Church,Chaldean Catholic Church) commemorate all the faithful departed on the Friday beforeLent.As with other days of the Allhallowtide season, popular practices for All Souls Day include attendingMassoffered for the souls of the faithful departed, as well as Christian families visiting graveyards in order to pray and decorate their family graves with garlands, flowers, candles and incense.Given that many Christian cemeteries are interdenominational in nature, All Souls Day observances often have anecumenicaldimension, with believers from various Christian denominations praying together and cooperating to adorn graves.
Known inLatinasCommemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum, All Souls' Day is known
In theCatholic Church, "the faithful" refers essentially to baptized Catholics; "all souls" commemorates thechurch penitentof souls inpurgatory, whereas "all saints" commemorates thechurch triumphantofsaintsinheaven. In theliturgical booksof theLatin Churchit is called theCommemoration of All the Faithful Departed(Latin:Commemoratio omnium fidelium defunctorum). The Catholic Church teaches that the purification of the souls in purgatory can be assisted by the actions of the faithful on earth. Its teaching is based also on the practice ofprayer for the deadmentioned as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42–46.The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed fromvenial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from theBeatific vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers,alms, deeds, and especially by the sacrifice of theHoly Mass.
In theLutheranism, "the whole people of God in Christ Jesus" are seen as saints and All Souls Day commemorates those believers who have died as the 'faithful departed'.
TheUnited Protestanttradition emphasizes "the Christian belief in bodily resurrection and eternal life" in observances of All Souls Day.
All Souls Day is seen by many Christian leaders are one in whichecumenismis celebrated, given that believers from various denominations collectively visit Christian cemeteries that are interdenominational in nature.Christians from the Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Methodist and Baptist denominations often come together to clean, repair and then decorate graveyards together.Ecumenical prayer services are often held at Christian cemeteries on All Souls Day.
InWestern Christianity,  there is ample evidence of the custom of praying for the dead in the inscriptions of thecatacombs, with their constant prayers for the peace of the souls of the departed and in the early liturgies, which commonly contain commemorations of the dead. Tertullian, Cyprian and other early Western Fathers witness to the regular practice of praying for the dead among the early Christians.
In the sixth century, it was customary in Benedictine monasteries to hold a commemoration of the deceased members at Whitsuntide. In the time ofSt. Isidore of Seville(d. 636) who lived in what is today Spain, the Monday after Pentecost was designated to remember the deceased. At the beginning of the ninth century, AbbotEigil of Fuldaset 17 December as commemoration of all deceased in part of what is today Germany.
According toWidukind of Corvey(c. 975), there also existed a ceremony praying for the dead on 1 October in Saxony.But it was the day afterAll Saints' Daythat SaintOdilo of Clunychose when in the 11th century he instituted for all the monasteries dependent on theAbbey of Clunyan annual commemoration of all the faithful departed, to be observed with alms, prayers, and sacrifices for the relief of the suffering souls in purgatory. Odilo decreed that those requesting a Mass be offered for the departed should make an offering for the poor, thus linking almsgiving with fasting and prayer for the dead.
The 2 November date and customs spread from the Cluniac monasteries to other Benedictine monasteries and thence to the Western Church in general.TheDiocese of Liègewas the first diocese to adopt the practice underBishop Notger(d. 1008).2 November was adopted in Italy and Rome in the thirteenth century.
In the 15th century theDominicansinstituted a custom of each priest offering three Masses on the Feast of All Souls. During World War I, given the great number of war dead and the many destroyed churches where Mass could no longer be said,Pope Benedict XV, granted all priests the privilege of offering three Masses on All Souls' Day.
If 2 November falls on a Sunday, All Souls' Day is observed on that day. In theLiturgy of the hoursof All Souls' day the sequenceDies iraecan be used ad libitum. Every priest is allowed to celebrate three holy Masses on All Souls' Day.
InDivine Worship: The Missal, used by members of the Anglican Ordinariates, the minor propers (Introit, Gradual, Tract, Sequence, Offertory, and Communion) are those used for Renaissance and Classical musicalrequiemsettings, including theDies Irae. This permits the performance of traditional requiem settings in the context of the Divine Worship Form of the Roman Rite on All Souls' Day as well as at funerals, votive celebrations of all faithful departed, and anniversaries of deaths.
In the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, as well as in thePersonal Ordinariatesestablished byBenedict XVIfor former Anglicans, it remains on 2 November if this date falls on a Sunday;in the 1962–1969 form of theRoman Rite, use of which is still authorized, it is transferred to Monday, 3 November.
According to the sacred tradition of the Catholic Church, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8, it is possible to gain plenaryindulgencefor the benefit of the souls of the departed who are inPurgatory.
According to theEnchiridion of Indulgences, aplenary indulgenceapplicable only to the souls in purgatory (commonly called thepoor souls) is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery (graveyard) andpray for the dead.The plenary indulgence can be gained between the second and ninth days of Allhallowtide (November 1-8); a partial indulgence is granted on other days of the year.In order to gain the plenary indulgence, the Christian must have receivedconfession and absolutionand theeucharisttwenty days before or after visiting the graveyard, in addition to praying for the intentions of the Pope.
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the poor souls, can be obtained by visiting a church, chapel or oratory on All Souls Day and praying theLord's Prayerthere, along with theApostle's Creed,Athanasian CreedorNicene Creed. Alternatively, Christians can pray the Lauds or Vespers of theOffice of the Deadand theEternal Restprayer for the dead.
Among continental Lutherans, its tradition has been more tenaciously maintained. DuringLuther'slifetime, All Souls' Day was widely observed inSaxonyalthough the Roman Catholic meaning of the day was discarded;ecclesiastically in theLutheran Church, the day was merged with and is often seen as an extension of All Saints' Day, with many Lutherans still visiting and decorating graves on all the days of Allhallowtide, including All Souls' Day.In the Lutheran Churches, "the whole people of God in Christ Jesus" are seen as saints and All Souls Day commemorates those believers who have died as the 'faithful departed'.Just as it is the custom ofFrench people, of all ranks and creeds, to decorate the graves of their dead on thejour des morts,Germanscome to the graveyards on All Souls' Day with offerings of flowers and special grave lights.
In theChurch of Englandit is called The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed and is an optional celebration; Anglicans view All Souls' Day as an extension of the observance of All Saints' Day and it serves to "remember those who have died", in connection with the theological doctrines of theresurrection of the bodyand theCommunion of Saints.
In theAnglican Communion, All Souls' Day is known liturgically as the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed, and is an optional observance seen as "an extension of All Saints' Day", the latter of which marks the second day ofAllhallowtide.Historically and at present, several Anglican churches are dedicated to All Souls. During theEnglish Reformation, the observance of All Souls' Day lapsed, although a new Anglican theological understanding of the day has "led to a widespread acceptance of this commemoration among Anglicans".Patricia Bays, with regard to the Anglican view of All Souls' Day, wrote that:
As such, Anglican parishes "now commemorate all the faithful departed in the context of the All Saints' Day celebration", in keeping with this fresh perspective.Contributing to the revival was the need "to help Anglicans mourn the deaths of millions of soldiers inWorld War I".Members of theGuild of All Souls, anAnglican devotional societyfounded in 1873, "are encouraged to pray for the dying and the dead, to participate in a requiem of All Souls' Day and say a Litany of the Faithful Departed at least once a month".
At theReformationthe celebration of All Souls' Day was fused withAll Saints' Dayin theChurch of Englandor, in the judgement of some, it was "deservedly abrogated".It was reinstated in certain parishes in connection with theOxford Movementof the 19th centuryand is acknowledged in United States Anglicanism in theHoly Women, Holy Mencalendarand in the Church of England with the 1980Alternative Service Book. It features inCommon Worshipas aLesser Festivalcalled "Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day)".
CertainReformed(Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist) churches observe All Souls Day.In All Souls Day observances by the Reformed Churches, the theological doctrine of "the Christian belief in bodily resurrection and eternal life" is emphasized, along with a remembrance of the faithful departed.Additionally, dead are remembered on the feast ofTotensonntag(Totenfest), the last Sunday beforeAdvent. It was introduced in 1816, inPrussia, and in addition to the Reformed, it is observed by Lutherans in addition to Allhallowtide, particularly in areas with a large Germanic presence.
In theMethodist Church,saintsrefer to allChristiansand therefore, onAll Saints' Day, theChurch Universal, as well as the deceased members of alocal congregationare honoured and remembered.In Methodist congregations that celebrate the liturgy on All Souls' Day, the observance, as with Anglicanism and Lutheranism, is viewed as an extension of All Saints' Day and as such, Methodists "remember our loved ones who had died" in their observance of this feast.
Saturday of Souls(or Soul Saturday) is a day set aside for the commemoration of the dead within theliturgical yearof theEastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran and Byzantine Catholic Churches.Saturday is a traditional day of prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in theTombon Saturday.
These days are devoted to prayer for departed relatives and others among the faithful who would not be commemorated specifically as saints. TheDivine Serviceson these days have special hymns added to them to commemorate the departed. There is often aPanikhida(Memorial Service) either after theDivine Liturgyon Saturday morning or afterVesperson Friday evening, for whichKoliva(a dish made of boiled wheatberries or rice and honey) is prepared and placed on the Panikhida table. After the Service, the priest blesses the Koliva. It is then eaten as a memorial by all present.
Another Memorial Day in the East, Radonitsa, does not fall on a Saturday, but on either Monday or Tuesday of the second week after Pascha (Easter).Radonitsa does not have special hymns for the dead at the Divine Services. Instead a Panikhida will follow the Divine Liturgy, and then all will bring paschal foods to the cemeteries to greet the departed with the joy of the Resurrection.
East Syriac churches including theSyro Malabar ChurchandChaldean Catholic Churchcommemorates the feast of departed faithful on the last Friday ofEpiphany season(which means Friday just before start ofGreat Lent).The season of Epiphany remembers the revelation of Christ to the world. Each Friday of Epiphany season, the church remembers important evangelistic figures.
In theSyro Malabar Church, the Friday before the parish festival is also celebrated as feast of departed faithful when the parish remembers the activities of forebears who worked for the parish and faithful. They also request the intercession of all departed souls for the faithful celebration of parish festival. In East Syriac liturgy, the church remembers departed souls including saints on every Friday throughout the year since the Christ was crucified and died on Friday.
On All Souls Day, Christians of various denominational backgrounds, including Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists, among others, often help one another clean the graves of cemeteries, along with adorning them with flowers.The General Secretary of theChurch of North Indiadescribed theecumenismpresent in All Souls Day, stating that "This coming together shows Christian unity".With respect to the economy, vendors "sell flowers, candles and incense sticks" to those visiting the graveyards, who are Christians of the Catholic and Protestant traditions.Prayer services with representatives from different Christian denomination for All Souls Day are held at graveyards for those visiting them.
All Souls Day emphasizes "the Christian belief in bodily resurrection and eternal life".Some All Souls' Day traditions are associated with the doctrine of the poor souls ofpurgatory(in Roman Catholicism) or theintermediate state(in Protestantism and Orthodoxy). Bell tolling is done in honour of the dead. Lighting candles serves variously to kindle a light for the poor souls, honour the dead, as well as to ward off demons.Soul cakesare given to children going souling—going from door to door topray for the dead(cf.trick-or-treating,Pão-por-Deus).
All Souls' Day is celebrated in many European countries with vigils, candles, the decoration of graves, and special prayers as well as many regional customs.Examples of regional customs include leaving cakes for departed loved ones on the table and keeping the room warm for their comfort inTiroland the custom inBrittany, where people flock to the cemeteries at nightfall to kneel, bareheaded, at the graves of their loved ones and anoint the hollow of thetombstonewithholy wateror to pour libations of milk on it. At bedtime, supper is left on the table for the souls.All Souls' Day is known inMalteseasJum il-Mejtin, and is accompanied a traditional supper including roasted pig, based on a custom of letting a pig loose on the streets with a bell around its neck, to be fed by the entire neighborhood and cooked on that day to feed the poor.InLinz, funereal musical pieces known asaequaleswere played from tower tops on All Souls' Day and the evening before.In theCzech RepublicandSlovakiaAll Souls' Day is called Dušičky, or "little souls". Traditionally, candles are left on graves on Dušičky.In Sicily and other regions of southern Italy, All Souls' Day is celebrated as theFesta dei MortiorU juornu rii morti, the "Commemoration of the Dead" or the "Day of the Dead", which according to Joshua Nicolosi of theSicilian Postcould be seen "halfway between Christian and pagan traditions".Families visit and clean grave sites, home altars are decorated with family photos and votive candles, and children are gifted a special basket orcannistruof chocolates, pomegranate, and other gifts from their ancestors.Because of the gifting of sugary sweets and the emphasis on sugar puppet decorations, the Commemoration Day has spurred local Sicilian events such as theNotte di Zucchero("Night of Sugar") in which communities celebrate the dead.Piada dei morti(lit.'piada of the dead'), a sweetfocacciatopped withraisins,almonds,walnuts, andpine nuts,is traditionally eaten in November for All Souls' Day in the environs ofRimini, inEmilia-Romagna.
In theIndian subcontinent(India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), Christians hold prayer services in which they pray for the faithful departed, especially remembering their loved ones.Christians of various denominations visit cemeteries and adorn graves with flower petals, garlands, candles and incense sticks.
In the Philippines, Hallow mas is variously called "Undás", "Todos los Santos" (Spanish, "All Saints"), and sometimes "Araw ng mga Patay / Yumao" (Tagalog, "Day of the dead / those who have passed away"), which incorporates All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting the family dead to clean and repair their tombs. Offerings of prayers, flowers, candles,and food.Chinese Filipinosadditionally burnincenseandkim. Many also spend the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the cemetery with feasts and merriment.