Buon Giorno dei Morti (All Souls' Day)
3 THINGS TO DO TO CONNECT WITH YOUR ANCESTORS.
Giorno dei Morti, or All Souls’ Day, is a day Italians (including Italian-Canadians and Italian-Americans) honour the souls of loved ones who have passed away.
This day is often celebrated by visiting cemeteries, cleaning, and adorning graves with fresh flowers and offerings.
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Families gather to remember their ancestors, lighting candles and offering prayers to guide their loved ones’ souls, expressing love and gratitude for their lives.
Some also bake special foods like ossa dei morti (“bones of the dead”), a cookie made in honour of the departed. Others might offer fava beans or chickpeas—additional traditional foods of Giorno dei Morti. Different regions in Italy celebrate in different ways.
On Ognissanti (All Saints’ Day), the day before Giorno dei Morti, I like to light a candle to bring my ancestors home. I also keep a candle burning for them throughout November.
(The Christmas tree does not go up right after Halloween around here.)
Offerings I give my ancestors tend to be the foods and drinks they enjoyed during their lifetimes, prayers, a spot at my table, and keeping their legacies alive through storytelling.
Whether you observe this specific tradition or not, while the veil is still thin, our ancestors are closer than ever, and it’s a potent time to connect with them.
3 things to do to connect with your ancestors that don’t require a medium or mediumship abilities.
Create an ancestral altar. This gives your ancestors a place to reside in your home and serves as a point of connection and communication. Be sure to tend to your altar regularly and refresh the offerings.
Keep your family heirlooms or photos nearby! They act as a physical link to the spirit realm and create space for your ancestors to offer their guidance, protection, and support.
Call in your loving, supportive ancestors while doing something you enjoy or that you used to do together during their time on earth. This helps maintain and strengthen the connection over time.