Summary: November 2 (November 3rd if the 2and falls on a Sunday)
The Christian holiday of All Soul's Day pays respect and remembers the souls of all friends and loved ones who have died and gone to heaven. It is a time to pray for their souls that they may be received into heaven. Upon death, it is believed that souls have not yet been cleansed of sin. Praying for souls of loved ones helps to remove the stain of sin, and allow the souls to enter the pearly gates of heaven. All Souls Day was started in 998.
Often people will pray to their lost loved ones and even ask for special favors.
Did you know? All Souls Day is sometimes called the "Day of the Dead".



I always feel like I'm trespassing when I step into a church. The silence, broken only by echoes, is heavy and thick. I try to avoid looking up at the wooden image of the man nailed to the cross that hovers over the candles. It's too hard not to rest my hand on his carved feet and give in to despair. If the muggles are right, then here is my proof of what happens when the world settles their burdens on one person. My hands don't tremble when I take the first of the white tapers and pull out my pocket knife. Her name is carved in deep even letters, Lily. A fine tremble makes the letter 'm' in James wobble a bit. Cedric is carved shallow and is stained with blood where the knife bit into my finger. Albus is jerky and full of regret and things left unsaid. I cannot even carve Sirius. After I snap the first candle in hands that grip too hard, the second is just inscribed with a clumsy star. He'll know it's him. I empty out my pockets and toss everything into the donation box. On impulse I take up one more candle and just carve YOU into it and settle it at the base of the crucifix. I can only wish that in the coming years, no one will come to lay candles at the base of my effigy and grieve their dead with a handful of coins.