In Sweden, we celebrate Christian holidays, and All Saints' Day is a red day (a public holiday) celebrated on the Saturday between October 31st and November 6th.
All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag)
This year, All Saints' Day falls on November 2nd and is a public holiday. It has its roots in Catholic times and has gained significance in Sweden. In Sweden, the holiday is celebrated by lighting candles on graves, a tradition that started after World War II. In rural societies before industrialization, All Saints' Day marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter, and was connected to harvest and crops.
What is All Hallows' Day (Allhelgonadagen)?
All Hallows' Day is not the same as All Saints' Day. All Hallows' Day always falls on November 1st and is not a holiday. The Catholic Church has celebrated November 1st since the Middle Ages, honoring saints who do not have a specific day in the calendar. The evening before October 31st is All Hallows' Eve. In Sweden, All Hallows' Day was abolished as a holiday, but All Saints' Day remained a holiday even after the Reformation in the 16th century, despite the fact that the cult of saints was not compatible with the Protestant Church.
Halloween
Halloween is always celebrated on October 31st and has its origins in pre-Christian times. It was the Celts who honored the dead. The celebration involved lighting fires and dressing up to scare away evil spirits. Halloween gained more popularity as a celebration in Sweden in the late 1980s. Today, it is a commercial holiday and is widely celebrated in Sweden with costumes and candy, especially among children.
Why a pumpkin during Halloween?
Since All Saints' Day marks the transition between summer and winter, a pumpkin came to symbolize this. They later got scary designs to scare away spirits.
Grave candles
In the late 19th century, candles began to be lit at graves in large cities in Sweden, but it wasn't until the 1930s that grave candles specifically for All Saints' Day started to be sold commercially. At large cemeteries like Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm, you can buy grave candles at a store right next to the cemetery.
Might still be confusing, but there you have a bit more information about these celebrations.
Source: Svenska kyrkan, Nordiska Museet
