All Saints Day Celebration Ideas
How do we celebrate All Saints Day? This joyous Solemnity is a very important day in the Catholic Church. Not only is it a Holy Day of obligation, but it is also reminder of the eternal reward – heaven! I pray that everyone reading this and all of your family and friends joins the Communion of Saints one day! Without further ado, here are 18 ways to celebrate All Saints Day with children!
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What is All Saints Day?
All Saints Day (also known as the Solemnity of All Saints) is celebrated every year on November 1st. This is a joyful and beautiful Solemnity that allows us to honor the faithful departed who have become saints in heaven! The church has special guidelines for canonization, and this is the day we honor these known saints. We can also honor the “unknown” saints on this day – those holy people we knew in our lives that may not have been canonized, but showed great virtue and piety while they were on this earth.
18 Ways to Celebrate All Saints Day
1. Attend Mass
This is a Holy Day of obligation which means that it is equivalent to the Sunday obligation, and we must attend Mass. Since it is a Solemnity, your parish will probably go all out with incense and glorious hymns. There will also probably be extra Mass times, so be sure to plan when you and your family will attend.
2. Dress up – family style!
Kids love dressing up, so I always start planning with my kids early! Sometimes, we buy costumes, but usually we use what we have or make something. My kids also love doing a group-themed costume. Here are some ideas for family saint group costumes:
St. Francis and his animals: One person dresses as St. Francis and the other siblings can be animals
The Holy Family and animals:Â Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, angels, a donkey, a cow, a sheep, etc
The Fatima children and sheep: Francesco, Lucia, and Jacinta and sheep
St. Francis and St. Clare
Sts. Benedict and Scholastica
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Holy Martyrs
St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Archangels
St. George and a Dragon
3. Have an All Saints Day party with friends
Organize an All Saints Day party at your parish or home. Ask everyone to dress up and bring a dish that represents their favorite saints. Alternatively, you could ask the guests to bring holy cards to trade. Be sure to have games ready to play as well (see below). You could kick off the party by praying the Glorious mysteries together.
4. Make Soul Cakes
If you didn’t get to make Soul Cakes on All Hallows Eve, be sure to make some today! They are simple and delicious. Here is my favorite recipe and a little more background on the tradition here.
5. Read Saint Stories
Reading about the lives of saints on this holy day is a must! We read this book all the time in our home, and it is perfect for All Saints Day:
6. Play Games
Who doesn’t love a good feast day game? Here are some favorites:
A whole list of games from Holy Heroes
7. Host a Tea Party
We have been doing this for years with our kids, and it is one of our favorite traditions! Each food represents a different saint. She provides a supply list and even healthier alternatives to the treats! How cute are the labels?? All of the foods are also super easy to obtain with very little prep.
The only one I have had trouble finding are St. Lucy’s eyeballs, so be sure to check for these early in the cookie and cake decorating section by the sprinkles or order them online. Or, just peel some grapes!
8. Cook a Dish
This Cooking with the Saints cookbook is a must for any new or seasoned liturgical living Catholic! Every recipe I have made is delicious and easy prepare, even the cuisines that are new to me. We have learned about many awesome saints along the way. These would be great to prepare for your family or for an All Saints potluck.
9. Carve or Paint Catholic Pumpkins
These templates are free and what a way to glorify God!
10. Discuss and choose a patron saint for your family to kick off the new liturgical year
After reading up on the lives of some saints, choose a patron saint for your family. This is the perfect time to choose a saint to pray to this year since Advent and the new liturgical year begin soon!
11. Create a family litany of saints to pray during your family rosary
After your family has chosen a patron saint, have each member choose a saint who is special to them. Write down the list and post it near your home altar so you can invoke these saints when you pray.
12. Sing and Pray the Litany of Saints
Now that you have your patron saints picked out, sing a litany! This is a beautiful Gregorian Chant Latin version:
13. Pray a rosary as a family
Pray the Glorious mysteries and meditate on heaven! At the end of each decade, invoke your family patron saints by saying, “St. ____, pray for us!”
If you need tips or guidance for praying the rosary, check out these posts:
14. Go to Adoration
Find a perpetual adoration chapel by you or simply pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle as a family.
15. Decorate your home for the feast
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16. Have your children learn about a new saint to them a present the information to the family and friends
If you have an All Saints Day party, have a parade of saints and then have the guests tell a little but about their saint if they wish. You could also do this at home during your tea party or dinner.Â
Make sure your kids know basic facts about their saint such as the feast day, patronage, where they lived, and any other important or interesting facts about them.
17. Visit a nursing home in your saint costumes and bring them treats
Bring the treats to brighten the residents’ day! This is a wonderful way for your kids to perform some corporal works of mercy (visit the sick, feed the hungry). The residents will also love seeing the kids in their costumes.
18. Do a craft
If you and your kids are crafty, here are some fun and beautiful crafts to make to celebrate this day:
All you angels and saints, pray for us!
That rounds up my favorite ways to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints! Did you see any favorites that you would like to try? Does your family have any special traditions? Please share them in the comments!