All Souls' Day

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All Souls Day is the day after All Saints Day, and is celebrated on 2nd November every year in many (principally Roman Catholic) Western churches, although if this falls on a Sunday, it may be moved to the Monday following. It is also known as the Feast of All Souls, the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, in Italy the Day Of The Dead, and in BelgiumDefuncts' Day. In Mexico it is the second of two days collectively described as the Day of the Dead, this one (El Día de los Difuntos) honouring the souls of those who have died as adults.

All Souls Day is a day on which to pray for those souls who have sins unatoned for so that they are destined for purgatory at the time of their death. It was originally instituted by St Odilo of Cluny (c.962 - 1048), a great church reformer and restorer of monasteries.