All Saints’ and All Souls’: Why Back-to-Back and in November?

By Fr Robert Christo, Vicar for Communications

In the Caribbean, we love festivities—to gather with family, friends, or even to remember those who have gone before us. That’s what All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) are all about. These back-to-back celebrations create an ‘All-Family Month’ for Catholics worldwide, with a special flavour that Trinbagonians can truly appreciate.

In 2025, this connection grows even deeper, as these days fall on a weekend, making it a memorable time for worship and remembrance.

All Saints’ Day kicks off on November 1, celebrating not only the ‘big-crowned saints’ recognised in Catholic history but also every single soul in Heaven, including those who quietly lived holy lives but aren’t officially recognised. It’s a day to celebrate the heroes of faith who inspire us to aim high and live well. Or, as we might say in the Caribbean, “Dis day is for de biggies and de humble workers in de vineyard!”

The next day, November 2, we shift our focus to loved ones who have passed but may still need prayers. Catholics believe in praying for souls in purgatory (2 Maccabees 12:45), a “spiritual waiting room” before Heaven. In Trinidad and Tobago, we naturally remember our loved ones with candles, flowers, and prayers. It’s like saying, “Eh eh, even if yuh gone, we still with yuh!”

These solemnities fall in November because it’s a time for reflecting on endings—like how, in colder parts of the world, trees shed, and flowers rest. Although we don’t see drastic seasonal changes in the Caribbean, November has a spiritual sense—a reminder that earthly life ends, but God’s promise of eternal life remains. November, then, becomes a “spiritual harvest,” where we gather prayers for the saints and for the faithful departed.

In 2024, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days will fall on Friday and Saturday respectively, overlapping with the Lord’s Day on Sunday. This makes for a particularly meaningful weekend, with saints honoured on Friday, prayers for loved ones on Saturday, and then Sunday worship—the Day of Resurrection—bringing everything together. As we might say, “Is ah weekend of extra love from both sides—the saints above and we still here below, ending with the Day of Resurrection on the Sunday.”

These special days remind us to honour the saints who inspire us and pray for our loved ones who need our prayers. It’s about celebrating life, love, resurrection, and the unbroken connections that go beyond this life.