The Fall Tridium

Monday, November 2, 2026 - All Souls Day

The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp

LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith

Executive Director, LOVEboldly

Quote

“Our ancestors live on in the work of justice we take up.”

~The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis

Devotion

I love Fall! The colors of leaves, the crisp days, sunlight peaking through clouds, the slowing down in Advent, and the preparation for Christmas. I’ve rarely lived anywhere that didn’t have a true fall—looking at you, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the one Fall I missed. Nestled within this season are three days that I call the Fall Tridium: Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

Despite its association by some people with demons or the devil, Halloween, from the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain,[1] was the first day in folk Christianity when the “veil,” the divide between the land of the living and the land of the dead, was the thinnest and people from both sides could commune with each other. All Saints Day was the day when people could honor the saints who were believed to be with God in glory. Finally, on All Souls Day the “holy souls in Purgatory,” those people who died and were marked for heaven, but still needed to be purged of their sins (basically everyone), could rise up to Earth and spend the day in relative peace before going back to their (temporary) torment in Purgatory. These three days are spiritually dynamic and based in the lives of our ancestors.

Eurocentric Christianity has largely erased traditions found the world over of honoring and seeking the wisdom and intercession of our ancestors. Christians particularly from African, Latinae, and Asian contexts have helped Christianity rediscover its connections to ancestors. All Souls Day helps us remember our ancestors and the example, model, and influence our ancestors have in our lives.

While the majority of my ancestors were farmers and other people who worked with their hands through long hours of physical labor, I honor their resilience and the sacrifices they made to get my families to where we are today. I honor my Queer ancestors who, though they might not be biological family form the foundation upon which I stand. I honor my faith ancestors in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Episcopal Church, in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). I honor all those people, living and deceased, who have helped me reach this place in my life.

Reflection

1.    Who are your ancestors? Who are the people who came before you who you honor?

2.    How do you honor your ancestors?

Action

Find the picture of one of your ancestors. Light a candle or create a quiet space. Have a conversation with your ancestor.  

[1] Pronounced “sow – wen”