Getting back to Halloween’s roots

While the public stocks up on candy and spooky decorations for Halloween, Catholics once again stand on the threshold of one of the Church’s oldest and often most overlooked observances on All Hallows’ Eve, the vigil of All Saints’ Day. 

Indeed, the festive day now marked by horror movie marathons and haunted houses originated as a precursor to the Catholic feast of All Saints' Day, commemorated on Nov. 1. While its commercialization over the years brought the observance into obscurity as the faithful once knew it, traces of it linger in even the word itself, being derived from older English terms, “hallows,” meaning “holy,” and “e’en,” rooted in the word “evening,” referencing the vigil of the feast.  

Long-standing traditions like trick-or-treating still take place, having evolved from earlier religious customs, with food or treats given in exchange for prayers for the dead in places throughout northern Europe. Days later, Nov. 2 marks All Souls' Day, the Church commemoration for the faithful departed still detained in Purgatory.

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Dr. Julia Palmieri, a former adjunct professor at Toronto's St. Augustine’s Seminary who specializes in theological ethics and moral theology, spoke to The Catholic Register about just how forgotten those roots have become in today’s society. 

“ I think we have completely forgotten about these traditions, and many of us are completely oblivious to the fact that Halloween is still All Hallows' Eve. When I think of October, I think of pumpkins and trick-or-treating too, and so it has become something that does not cross our minds, especially as parents,” she said. 

While she often teaches on bioethics and lay formation, Palmieri shared that as a mother of three, she has since given thought to the role of Catholic parents and families in seeing Halloween as something that can be celebrated liturgically first and foremost. 

For her, it’s not so much about “reclaiming” the holiday as one which is entirely Catholic-facing, but rather that efforts to educate ourselves on its faith-based history should be looked at more closely. 

“ This is more a time that we can focus on remembering and learning that this is still a part of our liturgical year. Families are more used to practicing Lent and Advent, but what about all the other feast days in the year?”  

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Admitting that this practice can be difficult when surrounded by the secular and commercial festivities that are unavoidable at this time of year, she suggests a first step can be as simple as referring to the day as All Hallows’ Eve again, giving recognition to the day as the vigil of All Saints’ Day. 

While some parents may wish to skip Halloween entirely, saying no to decorations and trick-or-treating by staying indoors on the day, complete sheltering can become difficult once children reach a certain age. A better approach, Palmieri suggests, is to equip children with a clear understanding of both the secular cultural practice and the original Christian meaning so they can navigate it with a better awareness.

However, she does understand some of the moral considerations and even potential risks that exist when Halloween is followed from a purely secular standpoint. 

“ One thing to be aware of among young adults and teenagers is this trivialization of the reality of evil. While participating in Halloween Haunt or watching scary movies are not wrong in and of themselves, we can become desensitized to the reality of evil,” she said. 

“It may sound silly, but not participating in things like the occult, superstitions and sorcery, as they carry a very real danger. A kid might not realize what they are doing when they see things like these in a movie and then try it themselves.” 

Still, some practical ways do exist for families of faith looking to live the mini-triduum of All Saints Day, All Hallows’ Eve and All Souls Day better. For Palmieri, that starts in the home. Whether incorporating liturgical living year-round so Hallowtide feels less foreign or forced, celebrating saints’ feast days and baptismal anniversaries, learning about the saints throughout the month of October or even older kids reading the lives of the saints as part of family culture on their own, many of these ways are simple in delivery. 

None similar, perhaps, than using the season as a time for further prayer. 

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“Praying and keeping our departed loved ones in mind is another way to commemorate, as talking about death can be really difficult. It's a good way for families to approach that subject. Even going to Mass on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day — these are small things that families can do that are not onerous,” she said. 

Ultimately, Halloween still holds roots that can remain holy when we remember not only where it comes from, but also keep those original lessons and traditions before us this season.

A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Getting back to Halloween’s roots".