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Culture September 14, 2017
No, it's not about getting candy.
It’s not Halloween and it has nothing to do with candy. All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2nd, is a day to honor the deceased.
And there’s definitely more to the sacred holiday than just decorated altars and sugar skulls.
Here’s everything you need to know about All Souls’ Day, starting with its importance.
One of the biggest misconceptions of holiday is that it is similar to Halloween. But in reality, the day is a religious day served to remember for those who have left the physical realm. It has nothing to do with collecting candy.
All Souls’ Day is a holiday that honors those who have passed on to the next life through prayer. Those of the Catholic faith believe that when the soul of a person goes to the afterlife, it is not entirely pure.
Thus, Catholics kneel at the altar of their loved ones and pray that they have passed the purification process and have moved along from purgatory. The prayers that are usually said include “Invocation for the Souls in Purgatory” and the “Prayer for a Departed Man.”
Catholics believe that these rituals can help their deceased loved ones in their journey to heaven.
All Saints’ Day, which is on November 1st, is the holiday before All Souls Day. The two are different because of who people honor on each day. All Saints’ Day allows Catholic followers to honor the saints and martyrs who have passed. On this holiday, believers are to attend church instead of working. The earliest account of the religious holiday dates back to the fourth century. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the seventh century, when Pope Boniface IV sanctified the holiday on May 13 in 609 A.D.
As for All Souls’ Day, it is a time to remember close loved ones who have departed. Family members pray for their dead because of the idea that the body is not cleansed of all sins when leaving earth. And as previously stated, prayer is believed to help their families enter the gates of Heaven.
Dia De Los Muertos or “The Day of the Dead” combines indigenous Aztec rituals with Catholic practices.
On Dia De Los Muertos, there is a more festive feel for honoring the dead. Celebrations include parties filled with drinking, food and partaking in the activities that the dead enjoyed in life.
Dia De Los Muertos acknowledges that death is a natural part of the circle of life.
Angela Villalba from the Reign Trading Co. told The Spruce that sugar art dates back to the 17th century. Italian missionaries came to the New World and taught those in poverty how to make sugar decorations so they can make a living.
The skulls then became decorations for churches and gravestones and were put on the altars of past loved ones as offerings. Each sugar skull is not created equally, though. Every sugar skull is catered to the dead by inscribing their name on the forehead of the skull.
One monumental factor of Dia de Los Muertos is adorning the grave of the deceased. The Mexican altars on Dia De Los Muertos have gained recognition for their uniqueness and decor.
One of the items most commonly seen on the altars are ofrendes, which is “offerings” in Spanish. The types of offerings you see can include gifts or their loved ones’ favorite food.
It’s also important to note, though, that every item placed on the altar holds a deeper meaning than just being aesthetically pleasing. Some items and their symbolism include:
At the end of the day, All Souls’ Day is not about the decorations or the sugar skulls, it’s about all coming together to remember our loved ones.
