All Saints Day

All Saints Day - A Religious Day Of Solemnity

All Saints Day is a religious day of solemnity that is widely celebrated in some countries, but relatively unknown in others. All Saints Day occurs on November 1, the day between Halloween, which is October 31, and All Souls Day, which is November 2, and they are all somewhat intertwined. This is the day to remember all saints, both known and unknown, throughout Orthodox Christian history.

It all began in the Middle Ages, with the Roman Catholic church. There was a Celtic festival, called Samhain, which marked the start of the dark half of the year, when people believed that they could communicate with the dead. This was a day, in the beginning of November, of people feasting on drink and food. However, Pope Boniface IV, during his reign over the Christian church, proclaimed that the day would now be in honor of the mother of God, and all the known saints who had been martyred. He changed the date to May 13, 609.

Then, Pope Gregory III, who reigned from 731-741, took over, and he added that unknown saints should honored as well. He also dedicated a chapel, which is in St. Peter's church, to the service. By 837, Pope Gregory IV was in charge, and he moved the festival back to the original month of November. Since then it has observed on November 1, and includes all those who were killed for any reason, not just those killed for religious beliefs, but anyone who died in the faith. This is because God declares everyone who has been baptized a saint, therefore, we should learn from their lives.

The day before All Saints Day was referred to as All Hallows Eve, which means the mass of saints. It was common practice for people to hand out what were called soul cakes to the poor people if they would agree, in return, to pray for the departed souls. Soul cakes were a type of pastry. Today, many people call this day Halloween, and hand out candy to children. The day after All Saints Day is called All Souls Day. It is a catholic holiday, on November 2, that offers prayers for those who are believed to be in purgatory. The idea is that the prayers will help them while they undergo purification for their sins and, therefore, get them to heaven faster. This is why, in many cultures, the three days and celebrations are often combined into one big festival.

New Orleans has a long standing tradition of celebrating All Saints Day by visiting grave sites. They play music, eat food, drink alcohol, and clean the tombstones of their loved ones who have departed. People come from all over to partake in the activities. Some people even take pictures at the burial sites. People in the Philippines practice the day in much the same way. This is similar to how The Day of the Dead that is observed in Mexico.

In the countries of Eastern Europe, they too, attend cemeteries and light candles, but they do so in a more subdued fashion. In France, they also light candles, and adorn the grave with the flower associated with death, which is the chrysanthemums. In Brittany, they decorate the churches with candles, banners, and chrysanthemums, and ring the church bells. This is also a time when they hold family reunions in honor of their deceased relatives. They share stories with one another about those who have passed. When evening arrives, they drape the churches in black, and will sing funeral songs. At midnight, which is the point between All Saints Day, and All Souls Day, they have a special supper and eat bacon, pancakes, and black grain. With it they will drink milk and cider.

All Saints Day is a celebration and a time to remember of all those who have been baptized and passed from this earth. They are role models for the living. We keep them in a place of honor so that we may learn from the lives they lead. While the official date of observance is November 1, many churches choose to pay tribute to their parishioners that have passed that pervious year on the first Sunday of the month of November.