Hallowtide: Reflecting on the saints and the hope of eternal life

Halloween marks the beginning of three days centered on the hope of eternal life, as the Church prepares to honor the saints in heaven and pray for the faithful departed.

Known collectively as Hallowtide, the observances span Oct. 31–Nov. 2. The name joins “hallow,” meaning holy, with “tide,” meaning time or season. Halloween takes its own name from All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before All Saints’ Day.

The connection extends beyond the calendar. The days reflect Catholic teaching on the communion of saints: Those on earth remain united with the saints in heaven and the souls undergoing purification in purgatory.

All Saints’ Day, observed Nov. 1, celebrates everyone in heaven, including those the Church has never formally canonized. The solemnity also reminds Catholics of their own call to holiness and the intercession they can seek from the saints.

On Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day, Catholics pray and have Mass offered for those who have died in God’s grace and are undergoing purification before entering heaven.

Pope Leo XIV reflected on that bond with the departed in his All Souls’ Day homily Nov. 2, 2025.

“Love conquers death. In love, God will gather us together with our loved ones,” he said. “And, if we journey together in charity, our very lives become a prayer rising up to God, uniting us with the departed, drawing us closer to them as we await to meet them again in the joy of eternal life.”

These observances also shape how families mark Hallowtide at home. Children can learn about a saint and dress as that person for All Hallows’ Eve, preparing for the next day’s Mass honoring all the saints. For families remembering deceased loved ones, visiting their graves or having Mass offered for their souls provides a way to observe All Souls’ Day.

Catholics’ prayers embrace both loved ones and those who have no one to pray for them, continuing throughout November, the month traditionally dedicated to prayer for the faithful departed.

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