AllHallowTide at Mt. Carmel
Is Halloween Catholic? The short answer is yes, very! In fact, it's an important part of an ancient Church tradition called the Triduum of Death. A triduum is a period of three days of prayer usually preceding a Catholic feast. The most well-known is the Sacred Paschal Triduum comprised of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The Triduum of Death, however, consists of:
Halloween or All Hallow's Eve, October 31st
All Saints Day, November 1st (Holy Day of Obligation)
All Souls' Day, November 2nd
In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III placed the Feast of All Saints on November 1st with the vigil to be kept the day prior. The vigil was originally called "All Hallows Even", meaning the evening before we celebrate the hallowed (holy) souls of the saints. The name was soon shorted to "All Hallow's E'en" and finally "Halloween."
The Triduum of Death is also referred to as "AllHallowTide." We celebrate AllHallowTide at Mount Carmel with a triduum of Masses. Here is the Mass schedule: