The holidays after Halloween

When putting away costumes and candy wrappers, some religious families move straight from Halloween celebrations to darker religious events.

Halloween on October 31st is immediately followed by All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd.

Celebrated primarily by Catholics but also celebrated by some other Christians, these holidays are an opportunity to honor those who have died, especially the men and women who are now recognized as saints.

All Saints Day

According to USA Today, All Saints' Day has been celebrated in some form since the third or fourth century. The holiday arose from an effort to combine pagan and religious traditions.

All Saints' Day traditions have evolved over the years, but their core purpose has remained the same. The aim is to raise awareness of the lives of the saints and encourage people to honor them.

The holiday can also encourage people to try to live like the saints, Monsignor Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., told USA Today.

“It is important to remember that the saints were not born saints. They were human, just like us. Through their virtuous lives they became saints. We too can become saints,” he said.

In this context, in recent years, All Saints Day has increasingly been seen as an opportunity to honor loved ones who were not saints, but holy people.

“Today we remember All Saints Day (in recognition) that anyone can be a saint,” Julia Campagna, director of mission and campus ministry at Notre Dame of Maryland University, told USA Today. “We are talking about the saints, known and unknown, named and unnamed.”

All Souls Day

Like All Saints Day, All Souls Day is an opportunity to remember and honor those who have died.

According to Brandeis University, both days are celebrated with special prayers and visits to sacred sites, including cemeteries.

But instead of just focusing on the holiest men and women, All Souls' Day traditions focus on every loved one you've lost.

According to The Associated Press, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are more culturally significant than Halloween in many parts of the world.