Did you know that Halloween has Catholic roots? There are varied suggestions and theories about the origin of this celebration, but there’s no question that it’s tied to the Solemnity of All Saints, which is celebrated the next day. Even Halloween’s name come from this association. All Hallow Even is the vigil or night before All Saints’ Day (hallow means “holy”). Over time, the name was shortened to Hallow E’en and then Halloween. I found these two articles helpful in understanding the Catholic roots of Halloween: “The Surprisingly Catholic Origins of Halloween” and “The Catholic Origins of Halloween.”
All Saints’ Day is usually a Holy Days of Obligation. Since it falls on a Monday this year, Catholics in the United States are not obligated to participate in Mass on that day. Read more about Holy Days of Obligation here.
We offer these free printable Halloween and All Saints Day activities:
Seeds: Halloween Fun / Diversión de Halloween
Promise: Halloween Safety Puzzle / Crucigrama sobre seguridad para Halloween
All Saints’ Day / Día de Todos los Santos
Good News: All Saints’ Day: Saints from Bible Times/ Día de Todos los Santos: santos de los tiempos bíblicos
Venture: What If the Saints Went Out to Trick or Treat? / ¿Qué pasaría si los santos salieran a pedir dulces?
Visions: Same-Name Saints / Santos con el mismo nombre
Here are a couple articles from Catechist.com:
Saint Costume Ideas (All Saints Day, Halloween)
Supernatural Friendships are Real Friendships — connecting with patron saints and more
Image credit: Prezoom.nl/Shutterstock.com
