Are All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day the Same?
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Allhallowtide is a beautiful Christian holiday that is a three-day celebration honoring the saints who have died in the faith and who endured until the very end (Matt 24:13). Contrary to popular belief, this is not strictly a Roman Catholic celebration, but is recognized within Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and other liturgical churches. It begins on All Hallow’s Eve on October 31 and includes All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2.
Some tend to confuse All Saints' Day with All Souls' Day when they are actually fairly different. Let's explore their similarities and differences below.
What Is All Saints’ Day?
Beginning on All Hallow’s Eve and continuing through All Saints’ Day, Christians take the time to remember, acknowledge, and honor the saints. It may be helpful to think of All Saints Day like Memorial Day for the Church: it is a day when Christians take time for prayer, reflection, and acknowledgment of the faithful in Christ who have gone before them, and who often lost their lives for the cause of Christ as martyrs.
As Hope Bolinger of Christianity.com states, All Saints’ Day, “comes from a conviction that there is a spiritual connection between those in Heaven and on Earth. In Catholic tradition, the holiday honors all those who have passed on to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a national holiday in numerous historically Catholic countries. In Methodist tradition, All Saints Day relates to giving God earnest gratitude for the lives and deaths of his saints, remembering those who were well-known and not."
All Saints’s Day dates back to when Pope Boniface IV introduced a formal day (May 13th) to commemorate the saints in 609 A.D., which was later moved to November 1st by Pope Gregory III two centuries later. All Saints’ Day was not just to commemorate the lives of canonized saints, but all Christians who are remembered or whose names and lives have been forgotten in history. This day is celebrated by attending Mass or a church service where participants hear prayers and homilies about the saints, and it ends with a feast for the whole church. Even the feasting meal is a reminder that one day, when we are all united with Christ, we will partake in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9).
What is the reason for this focus on the saints? Does this focus detract from our focus on God? On the contrary, it points us back to God. Paul himself tells us to imitate him since he is of Christ and encourages the Christians of Corinth to do so (1 Cor. 4: 14-17, 11:1-2). When we imitate the lives of the saints who were strong in their faith on earth, we will see Christ working through us as well.
The saints who have gone before us were far from perfect and never claimed to be. But even in their imperfections, we can learn from them how to fight the good fight (2 Tim.4:7-8) and endure to the very end (Matt. 24:13). When we learn from the saints, we learn how to be more Christlike, which brings us to the next point of All Saints’ Day.
So, now we have an understanding of All Saints’ Day and why many Christians today still celebrate it. How about All Souls’s Day? How does it differ from All Saints’ Day?
What Is All Souls’ Day?
All Souls’ Day occurs the day after All Saints' Day and is the last day of Allhallowtide. According to Heather Riggleman, "All Souls Day commemorates the faithful departed. This day is observed in the Catholic Church as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches. Roman Catholics believe that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from their sins and punishment could not attain heaven and are instead sent to purgatory."
According to this idea, certain believers will remain in a place known as purgatory until God considers them fully cleansed—thanks to the diligent prayers of faithful family and friends. During All Souls' Day, adherents continue the "custom of setting apart this day for intercession in the hope that any loved ones awaiting release from purgatory will enter heaven at last.”
This day is commemorated through chants, the lighting of candles in honor of departed souls, and—in some cultures—involves visiting the gravesites of departed loved ones with decorations and meals.
Purgatory can be understood as a temporary state of purification for souls who have died in God’s grace but still need to be purified from their sins before entering heaven. Catholics believe prayers and masses can help these souls. Most Protestant denominations, including evangelicals, reject the idea of purgatory, emphasizing that salvation through Christ alone grants believers direct access to heaven after death, without the need for an intermediate state of cleansing. This belief in purgatory, then, highlights a distinct difference between All Saints' Day, which honors the faithful departed, and All Souls' Day, which focuses on praying and interceding for deceased loved ones.
Now that we have an overview of All Saints' Day and All Souls’ Day, let's look more into their similarities and differences.
What are the Key Differences between All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day?
While there is overlap between these two days, there are key differences.
1. All Saints’ Day involves honoring the Saints, while All Souls’ Day involves praying for the dead.
As we have seen, honoring the saints is not the same as asking for their prayers. Christians from both Catholic and Protestant traditions celebrate All Saints' Day. All Souls' Day, however, is observed primarily by Catholics and some more liturgical Protestant denominations.
2. All Saints' Day recognizes all departed Christians, while All Souls’ Day recognizes those in purgatory.
From the canonized to those forgotten, all Christians who have died in the faith are recognized, honored, and commemorated on All Saints’ Day. All Souls’ Day focuses on those in purgatory. The focus is not just on saints of the past but saints who have recently departed this life.
3. All Saints’ Day is a time of celebrating, All Souls’ Day is a time of mourning and prayer.
On the Christian calendar, All Saints’ Day is both a white and red feast day. This means that it is a day commemorating both the purity and martyrdom of faithful Christians. It is celebrated through feasting, hymns of praise, and remembering these saints' sacrifices for the Gospel. All Souls' Day, on the contrary, is a black feast day. This means it is a time of mourning. The only other time there is a feast day of mourning is Good Friday. All Souls’ Day sets time aside for people to mourn and pray for lost loved ones and/or loved ones in purgatory. Many Christians light candles on this day in honor of departed loved ones and make intercession for them to God.
How are All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day Connected?
Both All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are connected through the Allhallowtide season. More than that, they are connected as they both focus on grief, honor, and ultimate hope in the resurrection and that one day we will all be united in celebrating Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9, 22:12-21).
A personal way we can remember the saints on this day is through prayer. We can find prayers for these days in books such as the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, the St. Augustine Prayer Book, the St. Gregory Prayer Book, and many others. Other prayers to guide you through this season can be found in Hope Bolinger's article on Christianity.com.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day both point back to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and the hope of the resurrection found in Jesus. As the Nicene Creed states, “We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
For Further Reading
What is the Difference between Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day?
10 Beautiful All Saints Day Prayers to Honor Past Christians
Why Should We Know about All Souls Day?
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Rena Lolivier
