What is All Saints’ Day? An Easy Explanation of the Catholic Holiday

If you’ve ever looked at a calendar with Catholic holidays on it in early November and wondered, “What is All Saints Day?” you’re asking a great question. It’s one of those celebrations Catholics love because it gives us such a beautiful picture of what our faith teaches us about holiness, the Kingdom of God, and our own personal connection to the saints.

Here’s the meaning behind All Saints Day in simple terms: All Saints Day is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates and honors the saints in heaven. That includes the saints whose names and stories we know, along with the countless holy men and women known only to God. Pope Francis once described this Catholic feast day celebration as remembering both those proclaimed saints throughout history and those who lived faithful Christian lives quietly and humbly.

In the Catholic Church, All Saints Day is also known as the Solemnity of All Saints.

When Is All Saints Day?

All Saints Day is celebrated on November 1 each year. In the United States, the Solemnity of All Saints is ordinarily a holy day of obligation. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) notes an exception: when November 1 falls on a Saturday or Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is removed.

At a Catholic Mass on All Saints Day, attendees will hear a Scripture reading from the Gospels that includes the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. These Scripture readings point us toward humility, mercy, justice, peace, and a life centered on God.

All Saints Day also comes the day right before All Souls Day on November 2. All Souls Day is observed for those who have died, but aren't yet in heaven, and are in a place of preparation called "purgatory." In Catholicism, purgatory is not an eternal destination. Rather, it's a place of journey before a person goes to heaven. 

The Vatican describes these two observances as connected through the “communion of saints” and the spiritual bond between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven.

In fact, the day before All Saints Day, All Hallows’ Eve, along with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, make up the Catholic three-day seasonal observance known as “Allhallowtide.”

 All Hallows’ Eve, also known as Halloween, is the day of preparation before All Saints Day, when the Church holds the vigil for the feast day, much like how the Easter Vigil is held the night before Easter. The name All Hallows’ Eve comes from the word “hallow,” which means “holy” or “saint,” and “eve,” which means “evening.” In the West, this traditional name for the date has been shortened to Halloween.

Celebrating the saints doesn’t stop at Allhallowtide, though. Catholics love to celebrate the saints all year round! For some inspiration on how to honor the saints throughout the calendar year, browse “24 Catholic Saint Feast Day Celebrations to Try.”

What Does All Saints Day Mean for Catholics?

The word “saint” refers to someone who is in heaven. While the Catholic Church officially declares many saints, many other holy people are in heaven but not officially recognized. To learn more about saints and their importance to Catholicism, check out the article, “Everything You Need to Know About What a Catholic Saint Is.”

One of the most encouraging parts of All Saints Day is the reminder that holiness is a calling for every single Christian, no matter who you are or where you came from. We are all invited to be saints! We can do it, through God's grace! On All Saints Day, Catholics are reminded that every Christian is called to holiness and pointed specifically to living the Beatitudes and a life that is of service to God.

This makes the saints wonderfully relatable. Their lives looked different from one another, and they lived in different places and times, but they faithfully followed Christ. The Catholic Church holds the saints up as examples of holiness and teaches about their intercession for us, especially on All Saints Day.

So, if someone asks, “What’s All Saints Day?”, it can be explained this way: It’s a joyful Catholic celebration of the saints in heaven and a reminder of the holiness God calls each of us to pursue. We get to remember the people who have already walked the road of faith in Jesus and allow their examples to encourage us as we keep walking ours.