The Tradition of La Toussaint: France’s Day of the Dead

The French don’t celebrate Halloween as enthusiastically or as widely as Americans—instead, they observe a long-held tradition the following day. November 1 is La Toussaint, aka All Saints’ Day: a public holiday when deceased relatives are honored. In the spirit of the season, let’s delve into the history and observances behind this fascinating celebration—here’s everything you need to know about the tradition of La Toussaint.

Graveyard Customs
Families often gather together on this day, and head to the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried, bringing flowers, candles, photos, and mementos to decorate their graves. This is also a time to weed, sweep, repair and otherwise clean the plots and headstones. In-season and frost-tolerant chrysanthemums are the most popular flower variety for La Toussaint—so much so that, in France, their use is considered morbid for any other purpose. Everywhere you turn at this time of year, shops are filled or decorated with blooms—millions of potted chrysanthemums in every color are sold each La Touissant. Because it’s a Catholic holiday, some more religious families may choose to attend a special service and light a candle for each of their deceased relatives. 

The Holiday’s Origins
“Toussaint” is shorthand for tous les saints (“all saints”), and it’s rooted in a centuries-old Catholic festival. It evolved from 4th Century feasts focusing only on martyrs to a more universal day of remembrance—at first, the day was observed on May 13, but Pope Gregory III moved it to November 1 in the 8th Century. Technically, November 2 is commémoration des fidèles défunts (“commemoration of the faithful departed”), aka All Souls Day, when the Catholics honored deceased relatives so that November 1 could stay devoted to public figures and saints. Because November 1 is a national holiday, the general public have also taken to making it a day to honor loved-ones and family members that have passed.

How to Celebrate 
If you can’t make it to Père Lachaise or to other famous cemeteries in observance of La Toussaint, gather or purchase some flowers (no need to limit yourself to chrysanthemums!), and head to one of your local graveyards. If your relatives aren’t interred close by, leave a flower on multiple graves and stroll among the gorgeous memorials, honoring everyone in the burial ground. If you’d prefer not to visit a cemetery, make an altar at home with photos and meaningful heirlooms, light a candle, and take a moment to send love to your ancestors.

While we may not officially celebrate the tradition of La Toussaint at L’Alliance New York, you can stay updated about equally fascinating cultural observances and holiday events on our website, or by signing up for our email newsletter.