Hallowtide: A Catholic Way to Understand Halloween and Beyond

Tracie Stroud of the Diocese of Shreveport explains that the Catholic tradition of Hallowtide provides a way to understand Halloween through the liturgical movement of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints, and All Souls.

Hallowtide begins on October 31 with All Hallows’ Eve, which is the original phrasing for Halloween. This vigil leads into the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. Stroud notes that these three days center on the Communion of Saints, illustrating that the Church includes the living, those in purgatory, and those in heaven as one family.