On the first of November, Spain celebrates “Todos los Santos,” which translates to All Saints’ Day.
The Christian feast honors all saints, including both officially canonized figures and holy people whose names are unknown. In Spain, November 1 is a national holiday and families commonly visit cemeteries, clean graves, and bring flowers to deceased relatives. The following day, November 2, is All Souls’ Day, which specifically commemorates the faithful departed.
The date has an important medieval history. Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Rome to all saints during the eighth century, and Pope Gregory IV helped extend the November 1 observance across the Frankish Empire in 835 under Emperor Louis the Pious.
A common mix-up is treating Todos los Santos as the Spanish equivalent of Día de los Muertos, Mexico’s Day of the Dead. They overlap in remembrance of the dead, but they are distinct religious and cultural traditions. Halloween also means “All Hallows’ Eve,” the evening before All Saints’ Day.