All Saints' Day 2026 falls on Sunday, November 1, and All Souls' Day follows on Monday, November 2. Together they open the month the Church dedicates to the Holy Souls, and they give Catholic families two of the richest days on the calendar for prayer, celebration, and remembering the people we have loved and lost.
What if Halloween week in your house started with saint costumes instead of ending with a sugar crash, and the first days of November became a time your children actually look forward to, because they know the stories of the saints whose names they carry?
This guide covers what the two feasts celebrate, the liturgical norms that apply in 2026, the traditions families keep from All Hallows' Eve through the first week of November, and where to find saint-themed gifts, books, and art from Catholic-owned businesses.
What All Saints' Day Celebrates
All Saints' Day honors every saint in heaven, the canonized and the countless unknown. The feast has been kept on November 1 in the Western Church since the ninth century, and it is a holy day of obligation in the United States.
The Solemnity reminds us that holiness is not reserved for a handful of famous names. The Church celebrates the grandmother who prayed the Rosary every night, the missionary no one wrote a biography about, and the child who died young, alongside St. Francis and St. Therese. All Saints is, in that sense, the feast of the family we hope to join.
Mass Obligation on All Saints' Day 2026
Because November 1, 2026 is a Sunday, the Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated at Sunday Mass, and attending Mass that day fulfills the obligation. There is no separate weekday obligation this year. Parishes will celebrate the Mass of All Saints in place of the usual Sunday readings.
All Souls' Day, Monday, November 2, is not a holy day of obligation, but many parishes offer additional Masses, cemetery Masses, and evening prayer for the dead. It is one of the best-attended weekday Masses of the year in many places, and worth putting on the family calendar.
Traditions from All Hallows' Eve to All Souls' Day
The three days, October 31 through November 2, have historically been kept together, and a family can recover that rhythm easily.
All Hallows' Eve (October 31). Halloween is, at its root, the vigil of All Saints. Many Catholic families keep it by dressing children as saints rather than characters, hosting or attending an All Saints party at the parish, and praying for the dead as the sun sets. Costumes need not be elaborate: a brown robe and a rope belt makes a St. Francis, a red cape and a shield makes a St. George.
All Saints' Day (November 1). Mass, then a feast. Families with a tradition of celebrating name saints often make this the day for a special dessert or a small gift tied to each child's patron. Litany of the Saints at the dinner table is a fine way to end the day.
All Souls' Day (November 2). The day for the dead. Visit the cemetery, light a candle, pray for deceased family members by name, and have Masses offered for them. Many families keep a small book of the dead in the home and add names throughout the year.
The plenary indulgence, November 1 through 8. The Church grants a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the dead on each day from November 1 to November 8, under the usual conditions of sacramental confession, Holy Communion, and prayer for the Holy Father's intentions. It is one of the most accessible devotions of the year, and a cemetery walk in early November is a memory children keep.
Patron Saint Gifts and Name-Saint Traditions
All Saints' Day is the natural occasion for gifts tied to a child's patron or confirmation saint. The Discover Catholic Business directory lists 46,000+ Catholic-owned businesses, and the Catholic gifts and religious goods category is one of its largest. A few verified shops and artisans worth knowing for this season:
Halo Toys in Cincinnati, Ohio, makes soft-sculpture saint dolls stitched one at a time by Patricia, the maker. For a small child, a huggable St. Joseph or Our Lady is the gentlest possible introduction to the saints. Listing: /listing/halo-toys.
Sacred Sacramentals in Orange, California, prayerfully crafts sacramentals with careful attention to detail. Rosaries and medals for a patron saint make a lasting All Saints gift. Listing: /listing/sacred-sacramentals.
Joyful Mysteries in Garden Plain, Kansas, is a Catholic gift and book store carrying traditional sacramentals, books, jewelry, candles, coffee, and children's items. It is a one-stop shop for a family with several name saints to cover. Listing: /listing/joyful-mysteries.
Sacred Heart Gifts and Apparel in Mahopac, New York, specializes in Catholic gifts, gold jewelry, and religious items, and describes itself as a place where faith meets everyday life. A saint medal on a chain is a classic patron gift. Listing: /listing/sacred-heart-gifts-and-apparel.
House of Carmel Religious Gifts & Books in Denver, Colorado, carries a full line of Catholic religious items, books, gifts, and jewelry. Listing: /listing/house-of-carmel-religious-gifts-books.
For more shops and a guide to choosing well, see where to find Catholic gifts and religious goods.
Saint Books and Sacred Art for the Home
Saints are best introduced through their stories and their faces. Two kinds of businesses in the directory serve that need.
Books. Prostrada Catholic Illustrations in Seattle has produced Catholic illustrated books since 2017 and is a strong source for Confirmation gifts. Listing: /listing/prostrada-catholic-illustrations. For older readers and adults, ICS Publications in Washington, DC publishes the writings of the Carmelite saints themselves, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese of Lisieux. Reading a saint in her own words is a different experience from reading about her. Listing: /listing/ics-publications. Browse the full Catholic books category for more publishers and bookstores.
Sacred art. Exquisite Arts in McKinney, Texas, brings quality sacred art into the home. Listing: /listing/exquisite-arts. Full of Grace USA in Denver reproduces historic religious imagery, proudly made in the USA. Listing: /listing/full-of-grace-usa. Catholic to the Max in Portland, Oregon, carries saint posters, framed art, and wall plaques that let a hallway or child's room teach the faith visually. Listing: /listing/catholic-to-the-max.
A print of a child's patron saint hung at eye level in their room is a small thing that shapes a lifetime.
Keeping the Month of the Holy Souls
November as a whole is dedicated to the faithful departed, and All Souls' Day is only the beginning. A few practices families keep through the month:
- Have a Mass offered for deceased relatives at your parish
- Pray the prayer "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord" at grace before meals
- Keep a list of the dead near the family prayer space and add to it
- Visit the graves of family members, especially during the indulgenced days of November 1 to 8
- Talk with children about the people on the list, so the dead are remembered as people and not only names
Catholic funeral homes and cemeteries are part of this month too. They are the businesses that help families bury the dead with dignity, and many host All Souls' Day Masses or remembrance services. Hauss-Modetz Funeral Home in Macomb, Michigan, is one Catholic-owned, family-operated example serving Metro Detroit, and its spotlight publishes on All Souls' Day itself. Listing: /listing/hauss-modetz-funeral-home. Browse the Catholic funeral services category or read our guide to finding Catholic funeral services to know your local options before you need them.
A Simple Plan for All Saints and All Souls 2026
| Date | What to Do | |------|------------| | Week of October 26 | Order patron saint gifts and pick costumes for All Hallows' Eve | | Saturday, October 31 | All Hallows' Eve: saint costumes, parish party, evening prayer for the dead | | Sunday, November 1 | Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints, name-saint celebration at home | | Monday, November 2 | All Souls' Day Mass, cemetery visit, candles for the dead | | November 1 to 8 | Daily cemetery visit and prayer for the plenary indulgence | | All of November | Masses offered for the dead, family book of the dead, Eternal Rest prayer at meals |
Find Catholic Gift Shops and Artisans Near You
The businesses above are a small sample. Search the directory by state and category to find Catholic gift shops, bookstores, sacred artists, and funeral homes in your own area, and support the families who make and sell the things that keep the saints close.
If you own a Catholic gift shop, publish saint books, make sacred art, or serve families through a funeral home and you are not yet listed, add your listing free. It takes a few minutes, and November is the month Catholic families are looking for exactly what you offer.
Sources:
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, liturgical calendar and holy days of obligation (https://www.usccb.org/)
- The Holy See, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, norms on indulgences for the faithful departed (https://www.vatican.va/)
- Discover Catholic Business directory data, September 2026