All Saints' Day (La Toussaint)
On 1 November New Orleans families visit, clean and decorate the family tombs in the city's above-ground cemeteries.
- When
- Every year on 1 November.
- Where
- The city's above-ground cemeteries
- Admission
- Free (some cemeteries limit access; St. Louis No. 1 requires a licensed tour)
Fixed date · 0 days away
About All Saints' Day
La Toussaint is a Catholic feast honouring all the saints, and in Creole New Orleans it became the day to honour the family dead. Families used to repair their tombs and coat them with a whitewash of lime and water before 1 November, then lay flowers and spend the day in the cemetery; vendors sold food at the gates.
Whitewashing is mostly a thing of the past, but many families still clean and decorate tombs, and Catholic churches hold blessings of the graves in the days around 1 and 2 November (All Souls' Day).
It is a family observance in working cemeteries. Visitors are welcome in most, but behave as you would at any graveside.
Dates, 2026–2035
| Year | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sun 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2027 | Mon 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2028 | Wed 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2029 | Thu 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2030 | Fri 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2031 | Sat 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2032 | Mon 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2033 | Tue 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2034 | Wed 1 Nov | Fixed date |
| 2035 | Thu 1 Nov | Fixed date |
Sources
- 64parishes.org/?p=1015 (All Saints' Day tradition, whitewashing (64 Parishes / Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities); checked 2026-10-26)
Also in traditions
St. Patrick's Day parades · St. Joseph's Day altars and Super Sunday · Christmas Eve bonfires on the levee