All Souls' Day 2026

When Is All Souls' Day in 2026?

In 2026, All Souls' Day falls on November 2. The observance lasts 1 day. All Souls' Day is observed on a fixed date each year. Fixed on November 2 Gregorian in the West. In Mexico, All Souls' Day is the second day of Día de los Muertos (November 2, dedicated to deceased adults), culturally merged with the religious observance. All Souls' Day is observed on the same date each year: November 2. Here are the dates for the next five years: Year Date 2026 November 2 2027 November 2 2028 November 2 2029 November 2 2030 November 2

What Time Does All Souls' Day Start in Your Time Zone?

All Souls' Day is fixed on November 2 in the Gregorian calendar, the day after All Saints' Day. The date is the same every year. In 2026, November 2 falls on a Monday. In some countries where All Saints' Day (November 1) is a public holiday but All Souls' Day (November 2) is not, families may visit cemeteries on the November 1 holiday instead — especially when November 1 falls on a weekend. As a fixed Gregorian date, All Souls' Day is timezone-independent. Eastern Orthodox churches observe a similar memorial day, but on different dates — typically the Saturday before Pentecost (called Saturday of Souls), and on other specified Saturdays throughout the year. The Orthodox tradition does not include the doctrine of purgatory, so the prayers for the dead have a different theological framing. The table below shows the observance date for All Souls' Day in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA November 2 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK November 2 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India November 2 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia November 2 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE November 2 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day, observed on November 2, is the Christian festival commemorating the faithful departed — those who have died but who are believed to be in purgatory, in Catholic theology, awaiting their eventual entry into heaven. The day follows All Saints' Day (November 1) and completes the three-day Allhallowtide season. Unlike All Saints' Day, which honors those already in heaven, All Souls' Day focuses on those who are still being purified — and on the prayers that the living can offer on their behalf. The festival was instituted in the 11th century by St. Odilo, the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Cluny in France. According to tradition, Odilo was inspired to establish the day after a pilgrim returning from Jerusalem told him of an island where the cries of the souls in purgatory could be heard. Odilo decreed that November 2 — the day after All Saints' Day — be observed at Cluny as a day of prayer for the dead. The practice spread throughout the Benedictine order and then throughout the Western church, becoming universal by the 13th century. The theological basis of All Souls' Day is the Catholic doctrine of purgatory — the belief that those who die in a state of grace but still carry the stain of venial sins must undergo a process of purification before entering heaven. The prayers and Masses offered by the living on All Souls' Day (and throughout November) are believed to shorten the souls' time in purgatory. While the doctrine of purgatory is specifically Catholic, the practice of praying for the dead is found in many Christian traditions, and All Souls' Day is observed in some form by Anglicans, Lutherans, and other Protestant denominations.

How All Souls' Day Is Celebrated

All Souls' Day is observed with Masses, prayers for the dead, and cemetery visits. Catholic churches typically offer multiple Masses on November 2 (with priests permitted to celebrate three Masses on this one day, an exception to the usual rule of one Mass per day per priest). The Masses include prayers for all the faithful departed, and many families request that specific deceased relatives be mentioned by name. The liturgical color is black or violet, signifying mourning. Cemetery visits are the central lay observance. Families go to the graves of their loved ones, clean the headstones, lay flowers, light candles, and pray. The cemeteries in Catholic countries take on a special character on November 2 — the graves are decorated, the paths are lit by candles, and the atmosphere is one of respectful remembrance rather than grief. In some traditions, families share a meal at the graveside, sometimes including the deceased's favorite foods. In Mexico, All Souls' Day is the second day of the Dia de los Muertos celebration, when adult spirits are believed to return to their families. The ofrendas built for All Saints' Day are expanded to include items that the deceased adults enjoyed in life — cigarettes, tequila, particular foods, photographs. Families spend the night at the cemetery, playing music, sharing food, and telling stories about the deceased. In many parts of Europe, All Souls' Day traditions include the baking of "soul cakes" — small spiced cakes that were traditionally given to the poor in exchange for prayers for the dead. The English practice of "souling" — going door to door on All Souls' Day to ask for soul cakes — is one of the origins of the Halloween trick-or-treat tradition.

All Souls' Day on the Calendar

All Souls' Day is fixed on November 2 in the Gregorian calendar. The date never changes. The day's connection to All Saints' Day (November 1) gives it its fixed position — the two days are part of the Allhallowtide season, which begins with Halloween on October 31. The festival's fixed date makes it one of the most predictable of the Christian holidays, with no astronomical calculation needed.

Fixed on November 2 (day after All Saints' Day)

Did You Know? All Souls' Day Facts & Trivia

All Souls' Day was instituted in the 11th century by St. Odilo, the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Cluny in France. According to tradition, Odilo was inspired to establish the day after a pilgrim returning from Jerusalem told him of an island where the cries of the souls in purgatory could be heard. On All Souls' Day, Catholic priests are permitted to celebrate three Masses — an exception to the usual rule of one Mass per day per priest. The three Masses have specific intentions: one for the faithful departed in general, one for the Pope's intentions, and one for the priest's personal intentions. In Mexico, All Souls' Day is the second day of the Dia de los Muertos celebration, when adult spirits are believed to return to their families. The ofrendas (altars) built for the festival include items that the deceased adults enjoyed in life — cigarettes, tequila, particular foods, photographs. The English practice of "souling" — going door to door on All Souls' Day to ask for soul cakes (small spiced cakes) in exchange for prayers for the dead — is one of the origins of the Halloween trick-or-treat tradition. The practice was common in medieval England and survived in some northern English communities into the 19th century.