All Soul’s Day is the last day of Hallowtide, the three-day holiday that encompasses Halloween, All Saint’s Day, and All Soul’s Day. Here are some ways that All Soul’s Day has been celebrated.

1. Grave offerings and maintenance: Since All Soul’s Day is the end of the holiday, this is the day when graves are maintained and decorated with flowers. Many families also take picnics to the grave, stocked with the dead relative’s favorite foods, and share stories about the deceased. Many churches also light candles for the deceased around this time.
2. Take down your Halloween decorations: You really don’t want to leave that Jack-o’-Lantern until it rots, do you? As sad as it is, it’s time to put this holiday away and prepare for Thanksgiving.
3. Charitable donations: One of the oldest customs of All Soul’s Day is the giving of “soul cakes” to the poor and the hungry. You could continue this tradition by giving to a charity of your choice, collecting canned goods for a local food pantry, or by donating time and needed items to disaster victims such as those displaced by Hurricane Patricia.
4. If you are worried that some of your deceased relatives will not go home, there are numerous traditional blessings to deal with this issue. For particularly stubborn ancestors, I recommend burning sage, ringing bells, banging pots and pans, and cleaning your house. This should create such a din that even your stubborn living relatives will leave as well.

To any ghosts or goblins reading to this, see you next year!