When is All Saints' Day?
In 2026, All Saints' Day falls on Sunday, November 1, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day honours the whole company of Christian saints, known and unknown. Western Christianity fixed the observance on November 1, adjacent to All Souls' Day on November 2. The distinction matters: church worship for the saints, prayer for the dead and family remembrance may overlap in practice, but they are not identical feasts.
Some Christians attend Mass or worship and families may clean or visit graves, bring flowers or remember deceased relatives. Madagascar's varied relationships with ancestors cannot be reduced to famadihana: that reburial ceremony is associated particularly with some central-highland communities, occurs on family and seasonal schedules, and is not a nationwide All Saints' Day ritual.
Decree No. 2026-006 declares this a public holiday that is non-working and paid for all covered workers. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, November 1; Monday, November 2 is not listed as a substitute holiday. Article 5 makes closure obligatory but permits establishments and worker categories whose activity cannot stop to operate under the applicable ministerial list. The decree supplies no general next-Monday substitution: a Sunday creates no additional occurrence unless a separate decree expressly does so.
How All Saints' Day is observed
Paid, non-working public holiday on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with no automatic Monday substitute. Employers and essential-service staff should confirm the decree and their applicable duty roster.
Traditions of All Saints' Day
Church worship
Catholic and other participating churches hold services honouring saints under their denominational calendars. The form depends on local organisers, community practice and available resources rather than one nationwide routine.
Grave care
Some families clean graves, bring flowers or pray for deceased relatives, with practice differing by locality and faith. The form depends on local organisers, community practice and available resources rather than one nationwide routine.
Avoiding false universals
Famadihana should not be scheduled or described as a universal November 1 custom; it follows separate family and regional traditions. The form depends on local organisers, community practice and available resources rather than one nationwide routine.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Madagascar official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Madagascar may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: Madagascar National Centre for Legislative and Legal Information: Decree No. 2026-006, Encyclopaedia Britannica: All Saints' Day, Associated Press: All Saints' worship and cemetery remembrance.
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