All saints day worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve this cloze exercise step by step. The text is about the history of All Saints' Day and its connection to Halloween, Samhain, and Christian traditions.

We need to fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases that make sense grammatically and contextually.

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Step-by-step solution:

We’ll go through each blank and determine the best word or phrase.

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(1) _______ May 13th, A.D. 609...
→ This is a date. We need a preposition before a specific date.
✔ On
> "On May 13th..."

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(2) _______ honour of all Christian martyrs...
→ Fixed expression: "in honour of"
✔ in

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(3) _______ All Martyrs Day
→ The feast was named All Martyrs Day. So we need a linking word.
This is a noun phrase being introduced.
✔ called (or "named", but "called" fits better in context)

> "...the Catholic feast called All Martyrs Day..."

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(4) _______ established in the Western church.
→ This is a past tense passive construction. The feast was established.
We need a verb to complete it.
But look at the sentence structure:

"...All Martyrs Day (4) _______ established..."
So we need the past tense of "be" — because it's passive.
✔ was

> "...All Martyrs Day was established..."

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(5) _______ include all saints...
→ "Expanded the festival" → to include...
The correct preposition for purpose:
✔ to

> "...expanded the festival to include..."

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(6) _______ as all martyrs...
→ "As well as" is a common phrase meaning "in addition to".
Here, it means saints were included as well as martyrs.
✔ well

> "...all saints as well as all martyrs..."

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(7) _______ May 13th to November 1st.
→ Moving an observance from one date to another.
We use "from... to..."
✔ from

> "...moved the observance from May 13th to November 1st."

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(8) _______ influence of Christianity
→ We need a determiner. "The" is needed because it's a specific influence.
✔ the

> "By the 9th century, the influence of Christianity..."

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(9) _______ spread into Celtic lands...
→ Past tense verb. "Spread" is already used — so we need the auxiliary verb.
It’s a passive or active description.
"Christianity had spread" — past perfect, since it happened before the blending.
✔ had

> "...Christianity had spread into Celtic lands..."

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(10) _______ it gradually blended...
→ This is a conjunction showing contrast or time.
"Although" or "while" could work, but here it's more likely a contrast between spreading and blending.
"Although" makes sense:
✔ although

> "...had spread into Celtic lands, although it gradually blended..."

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(11) _______ supplanted older Celtic rites.
→ Need a subject. What replaced the old rites?
The influence of Christianity did. But we already have "it" referring to Christianity.
So: "it gradually blended with and supplanted..."
✔ and

> "...blended with and supplanted older Celtic rites."

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(12) _______ A.D. 1000...
→ Date reference. Use "In" for years.
✔ In

> "In A.D. 1000..."

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(13) _______ honour the dead.
→ "A day to honour" — infinitive of purpose.
✔ to

> "...a day to honour the dead."

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(14) _______ widely believed today...
→ Passive construction: "It is widely believed..."
✔ is

> "It is widely believed today..."

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(15) _______ the church...
→ This is a relative clause. We're saying what people believe: that the church did something.
So we need a relative pronoun or conjunction.
"that" connects the belief to the idea.
✔ that

> "...believed today that the church..."

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(16) _______ attempting...
→ The church was attempting — past continuous.
✔ was

> "...the church was attempting..."

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(17) _______ replace the Celtic festival...
→ Purpose: "to replace"
✔ to

> "...attempting to replace..."

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(18) _______ a related, church-sanctioned holiday.
→ This needs a preposition. "With" or "by"?
The structure: "replace X with Y"
✔ with

> "...replace the Celtic festival with a related, church-sanctioned holiday."

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(19) _______ celebrated similarly...
→ Passive voice: "All Souls’ Day was celebrated..."
✔ was

> "All Souls’ Day was celebrated..."

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(20) _______ Samhain
→ Compare two things: "similarly to Samhain"
✔ to

> "...celebrated similarly to Samhain..."

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(21) _______ big bonfires...
→ "With" indicates accompaniment.
✔ with

> "...with big bonfires..."

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(22) _______ in costumes...
→ "Dressing up in costumes" is a fixed phrase.
✔ up

> "...dressing up in costumes..."

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(23) _______ saints, angels and devils.
→ "As" — dressing up as characters.
✔ as

> "...costumes as saints, angels and devils."

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(24) _______ called All-hallows...
→ "Was" — passive voice.
✔ was

> "...was was called All-hallows..."

Wait — that would be redundant. Let’s check:

"The All Saints’ Day celebration was (24) _______ called All-hallows..."

Ah! It's probably meant to be: "was also called..."
But "also" isn't a missing word — maybe not. Wait, perhaps it's just "was" again?

But no — “was” is already used.

Wait — the sentence says: "was (24) _______ called"

So we need a word like "also" or "originally"? But looking at grammar, maybe it's a typo.

Actually, let's re-read:

"The All Saints’ Day celebration was (24) _______ called All-hallows..."

Possibility: It's also called — but that might not fit.

Alternatively, could it be later? Or often?

But the most logical is also — because it's another name.

But "also" is not a grammatical necessity. Wait — perhaps it's commonly or popularly?

No — better option: often?

But actually, the original version may have been: "was also called..."

But the blank is (24). Let’s consider context.

Looking at the next part: "All-hallows (25) _______ All-hallowmas..."

So (25) is likely and, connecting two names.

Back to (24): "was (24) _______ called All-hallows"

We need a word like also, sometimes, or commonly.

But none are listed. Wait — maybe it's originally?

But the sentence doesn’t suggest that.

Wait — perhaps it's simply? No.

Wait — perhaps it's later? Not quite.

Another possibility: known?

But “was known called” is wrong.

Wait — maybe the structure is: "was commonly called" — but that’s not standard.

Actually, I think there’s a typo or formatting issue. But given the flow, the most plausible word is:

✔ also

> "...was also called All-hallows..."

Yes — it makes sense: "The celebration was also called All-hallows..."

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(25) _______ All-hallowmas
→ Connecting two names: "All-hallows and All-hallowmas"
✔ and

> "...All-hallows and All-hallowmas..."

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(26) _______ , the traditional night...
→ "The night before" — so we need a noun.
What night? The night before All Saints’ Day?
But that’s implied. Wait — earlier it said: "the night before (26) _______"

So (26) must be a noun — the event.

From context: "the night before All Saints’ Day" — but that’s not stated.

Wait — the sentence says: "the night before (26) _______ , the traditional night (27) _______ Samhain..."

So (26) should be All Saints’ Day, but it's not a blank.

Wait — no: (26) is blank.

So: "the night before (26) _______ , the traditional night (27) _______ Samhain..."

Ah — it’s likely: "the night before All Saints’ Day" — but we don’t know if it's written.

But logically: the night before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows Eve.

So (26) = All Saints’ Day

But we need to fill it.

But is that possible? Yes.

✔ All Saints’ Day

> "...the night before All Saints’ Day..."

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(27) _______ Samhain
→ "The traditional night of Samhain"
✔ of

> "...night of Samhain..."

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(28) _______ Celtic religion
→ "In" — in the context of the religion.
✔ in

> "...in in Celtic religion" → wait, that’s double "in".

No — "in the Celtic religion"? But no article.

Wait — "in Celtic religion" — but that’s not idiomatic.

Better: "in the tradition of Celtic religion" — but we can’t add.

Actually: "in Celtic religion" is acceptable.

But we need a preposition.

Wait — the blank is (28), and the sentence is:

"...the traditional night (27) _______ Samhain in (28) _______ Celtic religion..."

So (28) should be the — definite article.

✔ the

> "...in the Celtic religion..."

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(29) _______ called All-Hallows Eve
→ "Began to be called" — passive voice.
✔ be

> "...began to be called All-Hallows Eve..."

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(30) _______ eventually, Halloween.
→ This is a transition: "and then, eventually, Halloween."
So: "became known as Halloween" — but we need a word.

Or: "and then eventually, Halloween."

But "then" is not a strong fit.

Alternatively: "and later" — but not a word.

Wait — maybe: "and so eventually, Halloween." — awkward.

Best: and — connecting two clauses.

But the sentence is: "...began to (29) _______ called All-Hallows Eve (30) _______ eventually, Halloween."

So (30) is likely and — to connect the two names.

But "All-Hallows Eve and eventually, Halloween" — that works.

✔ and

> "...All-Hallows Eve and eventually, Halloween."

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✔ Final Answer Key:

| Number | Word |
|--------|--------------|
| (1) | On |
| (2) | in |
| (3) | called |
| (4) | was |
| (5) | to |
| (6) | well |
| (7) | from |
| (8) | the |
| (9) | had |
| (10) | although |
| (11) | and |
| (12) | In |
| (13) | to |
| (14) | is |
| (15) | that |
| (16) | was |
| (17) | to |
| (18) | with |
| (19) | was |
| (20) | to |
| (21) | with |
| (22) | up |
| (23) | as |
| (24) | also |
| (25) | and |
| (26) | All Saints’ Day |
| (27) | of |
| (28) | the |
| (29) | be |
| (30) | and |

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✔ Full Completed Text:

(1) On May 13th, A.D. 609, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome (2) in honour of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast (3) called All Martyrs Day (4) was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival (5) to include all saints as (6) well as all martyrs, and moved the observance (7) from May 13th to November 1st.

By the 9th century, (8) the influence of Christianity (9) had spread into Celtic lands, (10) although it gradually blended with (11) and supplanted older Celtic rites. (12) In A.D. 1000, the church made November 2nd All Souls’ Day, a day (13) to honour the dead. It (14) is widely believed today (15) that the church (16) was attempting (17) to replace the Celtic festival of the dead (18) with a related, church-sanctioned holiday.

All Souls’ Day (19) was celebrated similarly (20) to Samhain, (21) with big bonfires, parades and dressing (22) up in costumes (23) as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints’ Day celebration was (24) also called All-hallows (25) and All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before (26) All Saints’ Day, the traditional night (27) of Samhain in (28) the Celtic religion, began to (29) be called All-Hallows Eve (30) and eventually, Halloween.

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✔ Explanation Summary:

- The passage traces the evolution of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day from Christian traditions merging with Celtic Samhain.
- Grammar focus: prepositions (in, on, to, from, with, as, of), passive voice (was, had, is), relative clauses (that), and connectors (although, and).
- Historical facts: Pope Boniface IV, Pope Gregory III, 9th century blending, 1000 AD establishment of All Souls’ Day, and the origin of Halloween from All Hallows Eve.

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