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Next: 1 to 2 Nov 2026

All Saints' and All Souls' Days

White in church for the saints, then graveyards glowing with candles and heaped with chrysanthemums.

Photo: Fra Angelico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The colours of All Saints' and All Souls' Days

On 1 November Catholic churches honour all the saints in white vestments, the colour of glory. The next day, All Souls, is for the ordinary dead, and the vestments are purple or black. The colours most people see are in the cemeteries. In Poland families clean the graves and cover them with candles in glass holders, red, yellow, white and green, so that after dark each cemetery is a field of light that can be seen from far off. In France the flower of the day is the chrysanthemum, in white, gold, rust and purple, and for that reason it is not given on other occasions. In the Philippines families spend the night at the tombs, which are repainted white beforehand.

#FFFFFFSaints whiteVestments on All Saints’ Day.
#C62828Grave candle redGlass candle holders on Polish graves.
#F5B642Candle glowCemeteries lit after dark.
#B5532AChrysanthemum rustAutumn chrysanthemums on French graves.
#4E2A6ESouls purpleVestments on All Souls’ Day.

Values are fair approximations, not official shades.

Read about the colours

WhiteAll Saints.PurpleAll Souls.BlackThe older colour of All Souls.
About this page

Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "All Saints' Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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