The Allhallowtide Guide

Welcome to the His Girl Sunday Allhallowtide Guide — a lovingly curated collection of theology, traditions, and practices to help you enter into this season of remembrance with intention and joy.

From feast day recipes to outfit inspiration, prayers to party tips, this guide is here to help you celebrate all three sacred days — All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day — in a way that’s both meaningful and memorable. Whether you’re new to these customs or looking to deepen your family traditions, there’s something here for you.

The Triduum of Death, more commonly known as Allhallowtide includes these three days: All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. This is an ancient three day period where we celebrate, contemplate, and pray for the dead.

All Hallows' Eve- Hallowe'en (October 31st) is the liturgical vigil of All Saints' Day and is a day to remember those who have died and entered Heaven. Christians from the 1st-3rd century paved the way for this liturgical vigil. As the early Church faced mass persecution, Christians sought one day to memorialize all the faithful departed. Initially on May 13th as a celebration for all martyrs, the Church moved the day to November 1st in the 7th century to include both saints and martyrs. Even though others may not celebrate with this in mind, it's important that as Catholics we stay rooted in our faith and our customs. Don't abandon them because someone else is doing something wrong or bad, stand firm in your faith and be a light to your local community.

All Saint's Day (November 1st) is a Solemnity and a holy day of obligation where the entire Church celebrates all the saints in Heaven. Not all saints have been canonized by the Church so on this day we honor everyone in Heaven. As we go to Mass we are most closely united to the cloud of witnesses through the Holy Eucharist.

All Souls' Day (November 2nd) is a day dedicated to remembering and praying for the souls who are undergoing purification in purgatory. Catholics believe that upon death, souls depart from the body, and if need be, they are made pure before entering Heaven by going to purgatory. As a part of the communion of Saints, the faithful can help these souls with prayer, sacrifice, and Mass. From antiquity the Church has been consistent in praying for the souls of the faithful departed. Credit is given to St. Odilo in the 13th century for instituting November 2nd as the universal date for the faithon on earth to pray for the departed.

This liturgical triplet of days is intended to remember the Communion of Saints, the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth (the Church Militant), the souls in purgatory (the Church Suffering), and the saints in Heaven (the Church Triumphant).

I pray that this is a special three days for you, your family, and your friends. If you liked or used some of these ideas please tag us or share them. It is a great joy to see how we are in communion with one another!