Halloween and All Saints Day Fr. William Saunders Q: What are the origins of All Saints Day and All Souls Day? Are these linked with paganism and Halloween?Both the feast of All Saints and the feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. Let us first address the feast of All Saints. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313, a common commemoration of the saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church. For instance in the East, the city...