2 November
All Souls’ Day
(Christian holiday)

2 November
All Souls’ Day
(Latin: Commemoratio omnium Fidelium Defunctorum)
(Christian holiday)

All Souls’ Day is a Christian commemoration for the faithful departed who have died but have not yet attained salvation and are believed to be undergoing purification in purgatory. In the Catholic Church, it is observed on 2 November, the day after the Feast of All Saints (1 November). Theologically, it is the feast of the “suffering Church” (ecclesia patiens), commemorated by the “militant Church” (ecclesia militans), meaning the faithful still living.

On this day, many people light candles and visit cemeteries to honour and remember their deceased loved ones. In Hungary, All Souls’ Day has gradually developed from a specifically Catholic observance into a more general, non-denominational day of remembrance for the dead.

History of the Feast
In European culture, including Hungary, the chrysanthemum has become the traditional flower of mourning and remembrance, commonly placed on graves on this day.

Commemorating the dead has ancient roots. In ancient Rome, the deceased—especially ancestors and heroes—were honoured as gods or demigods. The festival of Feralia was held in their memory, and on 22 February, the Romans celebrated the Caristia, a festival of mutual affection, which brought a more joyful tone following the solemnity of Feralia.

In the early Christian era, prayers for the dead were part of the liturgy as early as the 3rd century. The first distinct observance of All Souls’ Day in the Church dates to 998, when St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny, established the practice of commemorating all the faithful departed on the day following All Saints’ Day, which honours the souls in heaven. The custom spread widely in the 11th century and became an official Church feast in the 14th century.

The traditional “Rosary for the Dead” is recited on this day, consisting of five decades in memory of the Five Wounds of Christ. Praying and interceding for deceased loved ones is based on Catholic belief in the existence of purgatory and the idea that the faithful on earth can help relieve the suffering of the souls undergoing purification.

The remembrance and prayers bring comfort to those who grieve, offering a way to do something for their loved ones through prayer, penance, and Masses. The funeral Masses celebrated on All Souls’ Day focus on eternal life and the resurrection.