All Souls Day around the world
United States
In the United States, All Souls Day (2 November) is not a public holiday and passes unmarked for many, but it is meaningfully observed in Catholic parishes and, increasingly widely, through Día de los Muertos in Mexican-American and Latino communities.
What people actually do
In Catholic parishes, All Saints’ Day (1 November) is a Holy Day of Obligation and All Souls’ Day follows with Masses for the dead; many churches keep a “Book of the Names of the Dead” through November and hold a remembrance Mass where the year’s deceased are named. Families visit cemeteries to leave flowers and, where allowed, candles. In communities with Mexican roots — especially across California, Texas, Arizona and the Southwest, and in cities with large Latino populations — households and community organisations build ofrendas with marigolds, photographs and favourite foods, and public Día de los Muertos events, processions and exhibitions have grown well beyond those communities. The scale and style of Día de los Muertos events vary enormously by city and year.
When to go
Observances centre on 1–2 November. Cemetery access follows each cemetery’s ordinary posted hours, which vary widely between municipal, private and Catholic cemeteries. Check the specific cemetery’s hours and its rules on candles, glass and decorations, which differ from place to place.
What to bring
- Flowers — marigolds if you are keeping Día de los Muertos; otherwise any the person loved.
- Battery candles where open flame or glass is restricted (common in US cemeteries).
- Photographs and small mementoes for an ofrenda at home.
- The person’s favourite food, if you are building an altar.
Costs
Home and parish remembrance costs little beyond flowers, candles and food. Public Día de los Muertos festivals are often free to attend, with spending on food and craft stalls.
Finding an observance near you
If you would like to mark the day, the simplest routes are your local Catholic parish (for an All Souls’ Mass and the November remembrance) and city or museum listings for public Día de los Muertos events. Because there is no national custom, what’s available depends heavily on where you live.
Remembering someone from United States? You can add their name to the wall and light a candle, wherever you are in the world.