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All Saints’ Day an older festival than Hallowe’en

Hallowe’en is something quite different from the All Saints’ festival. Hallowe’en is a new festival in Sweden. This year All Sants’ Day falls on 2nd November.
Kristianstad • Publicerad 25 oktober 2019
Lanterns on graves at All Saints’ Day, in remembrance of the dead.
Lanterns on graves at All Saints’ Day, in remembrance of the dead.Foto: MAJA SUSLIN/ TT

At the All Saints’ festival we decorate graves with wreaths and flowers, we light candles and remember those who have died.

The day was named for the first time in 1198, when Sweden was still Catholic. All Saints’ Day is a holy day. It is celebrated every year on the Saturday between 31st October and 6th November.

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Hallowe’en is on 31st October, but in Sweden it is not celebrated on any particular day. The custom of celebrating it is fairly recent in Sweden. The festival originated in Ireland, and was a Celtic custom, Samhain, to begin with. The belief was that the souls of the dead came back to earth at that time.

At Hallowe’en children dress up as ghosts, witches and other scary figures. They knock at doors and ask adults to choose between ”trick or treat”.

Lanterns are lit on graves in cemeteries at the All Saints’ festival.
Lanterns are lit on graves in cemeteries at the All Saints’ festival.Foto: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
Pumpkins with candles inside are to scare off the evil spirits at Hallowe’en.
Pumpkins with candles inside are to scare off the evil spirits at Hallowe’en.Foto: Lennart Magnusson
Children dress up to scare people at Hallowe’en.
Children dress up to scare people at Hallowe’en.Foto: Mark Hanlon
Inga-Lill BengtssonSkicka e-post
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