All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day | |
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Also called | All Hallows' Day Hallowmas Feast of All Saints Feast of All Hallows Solemnity of All Saints |
Observed by |
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Liturgical color | White (Western Christianity) Green (Eastern Christianity) |
Type | Christian |
Observances | Church services, praying for the dead, visiting cemeteries |
Date | 1 November (Western Christianity) Sunday after Pentecost (Eastern Christianity) |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to |
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All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day,[3] the Feast of All Saints,[4][5] the Feast of All Hallows,[6] the Solemnity of All Saints,[6] and Hallowmas,[6][7] is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.[7][8][9]
From the 4th century,
In
Liturgical celebrations
In the Western Christian practice, the
.The Christian celebration of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the "
Western Christianity
The holiday of All Saints' Day falls on 1 November and is followed by
History
From the 4th century, there existed in certain places and at sporadic intervals a feast day to commemorate all Christian martyrs.
On 13 May 609 or 610,
Pope Gregory III (731–741) dedicated an oratory in Old St. Peter's Basilica to the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world".[26] Some sources say Gregory III dedicated the oratory on 1 November, and this is why the date became All Saints' Day.[27] Other sources say Gregory III held a synod to condemn iconoclasm on 1 November 731, but he dedicated the All Saints oratory on Palm Sunday, 12 April 732.[28][29][30][31]
By 800, there is evidence that churches in
Some scholars propose that churches in the British Isles began celebrating All Saints on 1 November in the 8th century to coincide with or replace the Celtic festival known in Ireland and Scotland as Samhain. James Frazer represents this school of thought by arguing that 1 November was chosen because Samhain was the date of the Celtic festival of the dead.[38][27][39] Ronald Hutton argues instead that the earliest documentary sources indicate Samhain was a harvest festival with no particular ritual connections to the dead. Hutton proposes that 1 November was a Germanic rather than a Celtic idea.[33]
The 1 November All Saints Day was made a
Sicard of Cremona, a scholar who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries, proposed that Pope Gregory VII (1073–85) suppressed the feast of 13 May in favour of 1 November. By the 12th century, 13 May had been deleted from liturgical books.[25]
The All Saints octave was added by Pope Sixtus IV (1471–84).[26] Both the All Saints vigil and the octave were suppressed by the Liturgical reforms of Pope Pius XII in 1955.[25]
Protestant observances
The festival was retained after the
Protestants generally commemorate all Christians, living and deceased, on All Saints' Day; if they observe All Saints Day at all, they use it to remember all Christians both past and present. In the United Methodist Church, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in November. It is held not only to remember Saints but also members of the local church congregation who have died. In some congregations, a candle is lit by the Acolyte as each person's name is called out by the clergy. Prayers and responsive readings may accompany the event. Often, the names of those who have died in the past year are affixed to a memorial plaque.[citation needed]
In many Lutheran churches, All Saints' Day is celebrated the Sunday after Reformation is celebrated, generally the first Sunday in November. The festival is commonly an occasion to remember those who have died in the Christian faith. In some places, the names of those within the congregation who have died in the last year are read during worship and each name is marked with the tolling of a bell or the lighting of a candle. While the dead are solemnly remembered during worship on All Saints' Sunday, the festival is, ultimately, a celebration of
In English-speaking countries, services often include the singing of the traditional hymn "For All the Saints" by Walsham How. The most familiar tune for this hymn is Sine Nomine by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Other hymns that are popularly sung during corporate worship on this day are "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" and "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones".[citation needed]
Halloween celebrations
Being the vigil of All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day), in many countries, such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, Halloween is celebrated on 31 October.[41] During the 20th century the observance largely became a secular one, although some traditional Christian groups have continued to embrace the Christian origins of Halloween whereas others have rejected such celebrations.[42][43]
Eastern Christianity
The Eastern Orthodox Church, following the Byzantine tradition, commemorates all saints collectively on the Sunday after Pentecost, All Saints' Sunday (Greek: Ἁγίων Πάντων, Agiōn Pantōn).
By 411, the East Syrians kept the Chaldean Calendar with a "Commemoratio Confessorum" celebrated on the Friday after Easter.[10] The 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom from the late 4th or early 5th century marks the observance of a feast of all the martyrs on the first Sunday after Pentecost.[25] Some scholars place the location where this sermon was delivered as Constantinople.[44]
The Feast of All Saints achieved greater prominence in the 9th century, in the reign of the
This Sunday marks the close of the Paschal season. To the normal Sunday services are added special scriptural readings and hymns to all the saints (known and unknown) from the Pentecostarion.[citation needed]
In the late spring, the Sunday following Pentecost Saturday (50 days after Easter) is set aside as a commemoration of all locally venerated saints, such as "All Saints of America", "All Saints of
In addition to the Mondays mentioned above, Saturdays throughout the year are days for general commemoration of all saints, and special hymns to all saints are chanted from the Octoechos.[citation needed]
Lebanon
The celebration of 1 November in Lebanon as a holiday reflects the influence of Western Catholic orders present in Lebanon and is not
East Syriac tradition
In East Syriac tradition the All Saints Day celebration falls on the first Friday after resurrection Sunday.[12] This is because all departed faithful are saved by the blood of Jesus and they resurrected with the Christ. Normally in east Syriac liturgy the departed souls are remembered on Friday. Church celebrates All Souls' Day on Friday before the beginning of Great lent or Great Fast.[46]
Customs
Europe
Austria and Bavaria
In Austria and Bavaria it is customary on All Saints' Day for godfathers to give their godchildren Allerheiligenstriezel, a braided yeast pastry. People decorate and visit graves of their family members.[47]
Belgium
In Belgium, Toussaint or Allerheiligen is a public holiday. Belgians visit the cemeteries to place chrysanthemums on the graves of deceased relatives on All Saints Day, since All Souls' Day is not a holiday.[17]
France
In France, and throughout the
Germany
In Germany, Allerheiligen is a public holiday in five federal states, namely Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Saarland. They categorize it as a silent day (stiller Tag) when public entertainment events are only permitted if the serious character of the day is preserved.[48][49]
Hungary
In Hungary, Mindenszentek napja (literally All Saints Day) is a national holiday which is followed by Halottak napja (Day of the Dead). On Day of the Dead people take candles and flowers (especially chrysanthemums) on the tombs or graves of all their loved ones and relatives thus many people travel around the country to distant cemeteries. People who cannot travel may lay their flowers or candles at the main calvary cross of a nearby cemetery. Since only All Saints Day is a national holiday, most people use this day to visit cemeteries and pay tribute to their deceased relatives. As in the case with every national holiday in Hungary if All Saints Day happens to be a Tuesday or a Thursday then that week's Monday or Friday is observed as a Saturday, making that weekend four days long, and one of the previous or following Saturdays is changed to a workday. Traffic in and around cemeteries are much higher than usual on these days with actual police presence.
Poland
In Poland, Dzień Wszystkich Świętych is a public holiday. Families try to gather together for both All Saints' Day and the All Souls' Day (Zaduszki), the official day to commemorate the departed faithful. The celebrations begin with tending to family graves and the surrounding graveyards, lighting candles and leaving flowers. 1 November is a public holiday in Poland, while the following All Souls' Day is not. The Zaduszki custom of honouring the dead thus corresponds with All Souls' Day celebrations and is much more observed in Poland than in most other places in the West.[50]
Portugal
In Portugal, Dia de Todos os Santos is a national holiday. Families remember their dead with religious observances and visits to the cemetery. Portuguese children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition (also called santorinho, bolinho or fiéis de Deus) going door-to-door, where they receive cakes, nuts, pomegranates, sweets and candies.[19]
Spain
In Spain, el Día de Todos los Santos is a national holiday. People take flowers to the graves of dead relatives. The play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed.[51]
Americas
Guatemala
In Guatemala, All Saints' Day is a national holiday. On that day Guatemalans make a special meal called fiambre which is made of cold meats and vegetables; it is customary to visit cemeteries and to leave some of the fiambre for their dead. It is also customary to fly kites to help unite the dead with the living. There are festivals in towns like Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango, where giant colorful kites are flown.[52]
Mexico
All Saints' Day in Mexico coincides with the first day of the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) celebration. It commemorates children who have died (Dia de los Inocentes), and the second day celebrates all deceased adults.[53]
Philippines
Allhallowtide in the Philippines is variously called Undás (from the Spanish Honras, meaning 'honours', as in "with honours"), Todos los Santos (Spanish, 'All Saints'), and sometimes Araw ng mga Patay / Yumao (
Pangangaluluwa and Trick-or-treat
Though Halloween is usually seen as an American influence, the country's trick-or-treat traditions during Undas are actually much older. This tradition was derived from the pre-colonial tradition of pangangaluluwa. From káluluwâ ('spirit double'), it was a practice of early Filipinos, swathed in blankets, going from house to house, and singing as they pretended to be the spirits of ancestors. If the owner of the house failed to give biko or rice cakes to the nangángalúluwâ, the "spirits" would play tricks (such as stealing slippers or other objects left outside the house, or run off with the family's chickens). Pangángaluluwâ practices are still seen in some rural areas.[citation needed]
Cemetery and reunion practices
During Undas, families visit the graves of loved ones. It is believed that by going to the cemetery and offering food, candles, flowers, and sometimes incense, the spirits are remembered and appeased. Contrary to common belief, this visitation practice is not an imported tradition. Prior to the use of coffins, pre-colonial Filipinos were already visiting burial caves throughout the archipelago as confirmed by research conducted by the University of the Philippines. The tradition of atang or hain is also practiced, where food and other offerings are placed at the gravesite. If the family cannot visit, a specific area in the house is set aside for ritual offerings.[citation needed]
The present date of Undas, 1 November, is not a pre-colonial observance but an import from Mexico, where it is known as the Day of the Dead. Pre-colonial Filipinos preferred going to the burial caves of the departed occasionally as they believed that aswáng (monster, half-vampire, half-werewolf beings) would take the corpse of the dead if it was not properly guarded. Watching over the body of the dead is called "paglalamay". However, in some communities, this paglalamay tradition is non-existent and is replaced by other pre-colonial traditions unique to each community.[citation needed]
Undas is also seen as a family holiday, where members living elsewhere return to their hometowns to visit ancestral graves. Family members are expected to remain beside the grave for the entire day and socialize with each other to strengthen ties. In some cases, family members going to graves may exceed one hundred people. Fighting in any form is taboo during Undas.[citation needed]
Role of children
Children are allowed to play with melted candles left at tombs, which they form into wax balls. The round balls symbolize the affirmation that everything goes back to where it began, as the living will return to dust from whence it came. In some cases, families also light candles by the front door, their number equivalent to the number of departed loved ones. It is believed that the lights aid the spirits and guide them to the afterlife.[57][58][59]
Holidays
1 November is a fixed date
In Belgium, all Sundays are public holidays; should All Saints fall on a Sunday, then a replacement day on a weekday of choice is given. In Monaco, if it falls on a Sunday, the next day is a statutory holiday.
In Sweden, an All Saints public holiday falls on the Saturday during the period between 31 October and 6 November, with a half-holiday the day before. Both in Finland and Estonia, the All Saints public holiday was moved from a fixed date of 1 November to a public holiday on the Saturday during the period between 31 October and 6 November. In the Åland Islands the first Saturday of November is an All Saints public holiday.
In
In
Although the European Commission does not set public holidays for its member states, 1 November is a public holiday for the employees of the institutions of the European Union.
In the Philippines, where there are two types of public holidays, All Saints' Day is a fixed date, special holiday.
In India, All Saints Day is considered a public holiday in the state of Karnataka and a Christian religious holiday throughout the country, which means it is often a common addition to the list of paid holidays at the discretion of the employer, for those that wish to observe. It also happens to coincide with several state foundation days that fall on 1 November in several states: Karnataka Rajyotsava in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh Day in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana Foundation Day in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala Foundation Day in Kerala and the Chhattisgarh Foundation Day in Chhattisgarh.
In Bolivia All Saints is a public holiday on 2 November, unlike most other countries which celebrate All Souls' Day on that date.
In Antigua and Barbuda, 1 November falls on Independence Day, in Algeria on Revolution Day and in the US Virgin Islands on Liberty Day.
See also
- 1755 Lisbon earthquake which occurred on this day and had a great effect on society and philosophy
- Dziady
- Irish calendar
- Litany of the Saints
- Veneration of the dead
Notes
- Pierre Saintyves, Les saints successeurs des dieux, Paris 1906 (sic, i.e. 1907).
References
Citations
- ISBN 978-0806653501.
All Lutherans celebrate All Saints Day, and many sing, 'For all the saints, who from their labors rest…'
- ISBN 978-0-8146-6025-6. Retrieved 7 October 2023.. ResourceUMC.org. United Methodist Church. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
"Ways to remember the lives and work of church saints" - ^ ISBN 978-1-5326-9537-7.
- ISBN 978-0962995507.
- St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. "Homily on the Feast of All Saints of Russia". St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Church. Archivedfrom the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-209854-2.
The Feast of All Saints is officially called the Solemnity of All Saints. Other names for this feast include the Feast of All Hallows and Hallowmas.
- ^ a b c Crain, Alex (29 October 2021). "All Saints' Day – The Meaning and History Behind the November 1st Holiday". Christianity.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, or Hallowmas, is a Christian celebration in honor of all the saints from Christian history. In Western Christianity, it is observed on November 1st by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church and associated Eastern Catholic churches observe All Saints Day on the first Sunday following Pentecost.
- ^ "All Saints' Day". Washington, D.C.: Saint George's Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
All Saints' Day also called All Hallows, Hallowmas, and Feast of All Saints is held on November 1 each year and celebrates and honors all the Saints especially the Saints who are not honored on other days of the year. The day is preceded by All Saints' Eve (Halloween) the night before and then the day after followed by All Souls' Day. The 3 days together represent the Allhallowtide triduum (religious observance lasting 3 days) as a time to reflect and remember the saints, martyrs, and the faithful who have died.
- ^ "All Saints' Day | Definition, History, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Mershman, Francis (1907). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company. . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).
- ISBN 978-1481711401.
Lutheran and Orthodox Churches who do not call themselves Roman Catholic Churches have maintained the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, still celebrate this Day. Even the Protestant Churches like the United Methodist Church all celebrate this day as the All Souls' Day and call it All Saints' day.
- ^ a b "Syro Malabar Liturgical Calendar 2016" (PDF). syromalabarchurch.in. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "The Coptic Syndrome of Trying to Find Coptic Origins to Arab Words: Nayrouz as an Example". On Coptic Nationalism فى القومية القبطية. 14 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Addis, M.E. Leicester (1895). "Allhallowtide". In Leslie, Frank (ed.). Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly. Frank Leslie Publishing House. pp. 539–544. p. 539:
Just as the term "Eastertide" expresses for us the whole of the church services and ancient customs attached to the festival of Easter, from Palm Sunday until Easter Monday, so does All-hallowtide include for us all the various customs, obsolete and still observed, of Halloween, All Saints' and All Souls' Day. From the 31st of October until the morning of the 3rd of November, this period of three days, known as All-hallowtide, is full of traditional and legendary lore.
- ^ "All Saints' Tide". Services and Prayers for the Season from All Saints to Candlemas. General Synod of the Church of England. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
For many twentieth-century Christians the All Saints-tide period is extended to include Remembrance Sunday. In the Calendar and Lectionary we have sought to make it easier to observe this without cutting across a developing lectionary pattern, and we have reprinted the form of service approved ecumenically for use on that day.
- ISBN 978-0824205935.
- ^ a b "All Saints' Day honors the deceased". www.army.mil. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ a b "The Flower of Death". CouleurNature. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ a b "National holiday: November 1st is All Saints Day – Portugal". 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ABC-CLIO. p. 979.
- ^ Guillain, Charlotte (2014). Portugal. Capstone.
- ^ The United Methodist Church. Archivedfrom the original on 1 December 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ Smith, C. (1967) The New Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. "Feast of All Saints", p. 318.
- ^ Saunders, William. "All Saints and All Souls". catholiceducation.org. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-7876-4004-2.
- ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911.
- ^ ISBN 9780192802903.
- ISBN 9781107041646. pp. 215–216: "Soon after his election in 731, Gregory III summoned a synod to gather on 1 November in the basilica of Saint Peter's in order to respond to the policy of iconoclasm that he believed was being promoted by the Byzantine Emperor [...] Six months later, in April of the following year, 732, the pope assembled another synod in the basilica to consecrate a new oratory dedicated to the Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and all the saints".
- ISBN 9780802090089. p. 258: "Gregory III began his reign with a synod in St Peter's (1 November 731) which formally condemned iconoclasm [...] on the Sunday before Easter, 12 April 732, Gregory convoked yet another synod [...] and at the synod inaugurated an oratory [...] Dedicated to all saints, this oratory was designed to hold 'relics of the holy apostles and all the holy martyrs and confessors'".
- ISBN 9789004201415
- ISBN 9780812222562
- ^ Farmer, David. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Fifth Edition, Revised). Oxford University Press, 2011. p. 14
- ^ ISBN 0192854488.
- ^ Butler, Alban. Butler's Lives of the Saints, New Full Edition, Volume 11: November (Revised by Sarah Fawcett Thomas). Burns & Oates, 1997. pp. 1–2. Quote: "Some manuscripts of the ninth-century Félire, or martyrology, of St Oengus the Culdee and the Martyrology of Tallaght (c. 800), which have a commemoration of the martyrs on 17 April, a feast of 'all the saints of the whole of Europe' on 20 April, and a feast of all saints of Africa on 23 December, also refer to a celebration of all the saints on 1 November".
- ISBN 9780227900871
- ISBN 9780521778527
- ISBN 0-7876-4004-2.
- .
- S2CID 161532352.
- The United Methodist Church. Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ NEDCO Producers' Guide (volume 31–33). Northeast Dairy Cooperative Federation. 1973.
Originally celebrated as the night before All Saints' Day, Christians chose November first to honor their many saints. The night before was called All Saints' Eve or hallowed eve meaning holy evening.
- ^ Halloween: What's a Christian to Do? (1998) by Steve Russo.
- ^ Brandreth, Gyles (11 March 2000) "The Devil is gaining ground" The Sunday Telegraph (London).
- ISBN 978-0898696783.
- ISBN 978-0521524674.
- ^ "Commemoration of the Departed Faithful". Nasrani Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "Your Guide to All Saints' Day in Vienna". 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ^ "All Saints' Day in Germany". Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^ "FTG: Art. 3 Stille Tage – Bürgerservice". Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ "All Souls' Day: The Tradition of Zaduszki in Poland". Culture.pl. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "All Saints' Day in Spain". Estudio Sampere. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ "All Saints Day in Guatemala, A Photographic Essay – Revue Magazine". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ Trebe, Patricia (30 October 2015). "Mexican-Americans to celebrate Day of the Dead". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Bautista, Iss (28 October 2018). "Day of the Dead Traditions in the Philippines". Modern Filipina. Philippines. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "All Saints Day around the world". The Guardian. 1 November 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ O'Connell, Ronan (1 November 2020). "All Saints Day: How Filipinos use food to honour the dead in age-old tradition". The National. United Arab Emerites. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
Laquian, Eleanor R. (1 November 2020). "On All Souls Day or Day of the Dead: Let's Pray for the Living Dead". Canadian Filipino .Net. Maple Bamboo Network Society. Retrieved 22 September 2023. - ^ "Contemporary Undas practices derived from pre-colonial influence, beliefs – cultural anthropologist". GMA News Online. 31 October 2014. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Cruz, Elfren S. (31 October 2013). "Undas in Filipino culture". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ Miaco, Mimi (29 October 2015). "10 Things Pinoys Do During Undas". Spot.ph. Spot. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
Bibliography
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Alford, Violet (1941). "The Cat Saint". Folklore. 52 (3). Informa UK Limited: 161–183. JSTOR 1257493.
Further reading
- Langgärtner, Georg. "All Saints' Day". In The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 41. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN 0802824137.
External links
- All Saints and All Souls Day American Catholic
- All Saints Sunday Orthodox England
- A Vigil service for All Saints All Hallows' E'en – "Halloween"
- First Sunday after Pentecost, or All Saints Sunday by Sergei Bulgakov, Handbook for Church Servers
- Synaxis of All Saints Icon and Synaxarionof the feast