Light a Candle at the Graves in Linköping
It is late afternoon on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November, and the light is already going. Across Linköping, people are walking toward the cemeteries with candles and flowers in their hands. By nightfall the graves and memorial groves are covered in hundreds of small flames — a sight that has spread across Sweden since the early 1900s and became common nationwide after World War II. Bring your own candle and lantern, find a quiet row, and join the crowd. This is the central act of All Saints' Eve in Sweden, and it is done quietly, together, and by everyone.
All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag) has been observed on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November since 1953, and it is a public holiday. Plan your half-day around the shift from daylight to dark: arrive before dusk, stay for the lighting.
Hear a Concert of Light in a Linköping Church
Churches across Sweden organise concerts on All Saints' Day, and churches also began holding services of light as the candle-lighting custom took hold. In Linköping, look to the city's churches for the evening's music — check local listings and parish notice boards for the year's programme, since each church sets its own.
- Attend an evening concert or service of light; the music and the candles are the point.
- Arrive early — these fill up on the Saturday.
- If you prefer, the alternative Swedish custom is a festive meal at home with family and friends. Book a table instead if you are visiting.
Shop and Eat on Sunday Hours
Most shops in Sweden have Sunday opening hours on All Saints' Day, so the city stays usable on a day when much of Europe would be shut. Use the half-day to wander the centre, stop for coffee and a meal, and pick up candles or flowers for the cemetery if you have not already.
- Buy flowers and a candle before dusk — you will want them at the graves.
- Expect Sunday hours in shops rather than a full weekday schedule.
- Eat before the evening concert or the cemetery visit; the day's rhythm runs early.
Know the Date Before You Book
The date moves. All Saints' Day in Sweden falls on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November — that has been the rule since 1953, when it was moved from the first Sunday in November (where it had sat since 1772). In 2026, check the calendar for that Saturday and build your half-day around it. The customs themselves are reliable year to year: cemeteries lit with candles, churches holding concerts, shops on Sunday hours, and families gathering for a meal.
Plan the Half-Day Around the Dark
Start in the afternoon while shops are open, eat early, then move to a church concert or straight to the cemetery as the light fails. The candles are the reason the day exists in its current form, and they are best seen after sunset. Give yourself the whole half-day, not an hour — the walk there, the waiting, and the lighting are all part of it. Check Linköping's local listings for this year's church concerts and any city programme, then book your travel for the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November 2026.