All Saints' Day facts for kids
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day or Hallowmas, is a special Christian holiday. It celebrates all the saints in the Church, both those we know and those who are unknown. Saints are people who lived very holy lives and are believed to be in heaven.
This holiday has been celebrated for a long time. From the 300s, Christians in different places held feasts to remember all Christian martyrs (people who died for their faith). In the 800s, some churches in the British Isles started celebrating all saints on November 1st. Later, Pope Gregory IV made this a holiday for the whole Catholic Church.
In Western Christianity, including the Roman Catholic Church and many Protestant churches like Lutherans and Anglicans, All Saints' Day is on November 1st. Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Some other Christian groups have different dates, like the Syro-Malabar Church, which celebrates it on the first Friday after Easter.
Template:Infobox vevent
Contents
How All Saints' Day is Celebrated
The celebrations for All Saints' Day in Western Christianity begin on the evening of October 31st. This evening is known as All Hallows' Eve, or "Halloween." The holiday officially ends on November 1st.
All Saints' Day is the day before All Souls' Day, which remembers all faithful people who have passed away. In many places, All Saints' Day is part of a special time called Allhallowtide. This period includes October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd.
In countries where All Saints' Day is a public holiday, families often visit cemeteries. They place flowers, light candles, and say prayers for their loved ones who have died. In Austria and Germany, godparents sometimes give their godchildren a special braided pastry called Allerheiligenstriezel. In Portugal, a tradition called souling is still popular.
Christians celebrate All Saints' Day because they believe there is a strong connection between people in heaven, people living on Earth, and those who have passed away but are not yet in heaven. For Catholics, this day honors everyone who has reached heaven. Methodists use the day to thank God for the lives of all saints, both famous and unknown. This includes important figures like Paul the Apostle and Augustine of Hippo. It can also be a day to remember people who helped you learn about faith, like a grandparent or a friend.
Western Christian Traditions
All Saints' Day is celebrated on November 1st. It is followed by All Souls' Day on November 2nd. This is a very important day for the Roman Catholic Church. It is also a major holiday for Lutheran and Anglican churches.
History of the Western Celebration
Feasts to remember Christian martyrs started in the 300s. These were held on different dates. By the 400s, the celebration expanded to include all saints, not just martyrs.
Around 609 or 610 AD, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary and all martyrs. He ordered an annual celebration for this. Some people think May 13th was chosen because it was the date of an old Roman festival called Lemuria, which honored spirits of the dead.
Later, Pope Gregory III (731–741) dedicated a chapel in Old St. Peter's Basilica to all saints. Some sources say this happened on November 1st, which might be why the date became important.
By the 800s, churches in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Germany were celebrating all saints on November 1st. Pope Gregory IV officially made November 1st a day of obligation (a required holy day) for the entire Holy Roman Empire in 835.
After the Protestant Reformation, many Protestant churches, like Lutherans and Anglicans, kept All Saints' Day in their calendars. For Lutherans, it's often a day to remember all the dead. In Sweden, it's on the Saturday between October 31st and November 6th. In many Lutheran churches, it's moved to the first Sunday of November. Anglicans also celebrate it on November 1st or the Sunday between October 30th and November 5th.
Many Protestants use this day to remember all Christians, both living and deceased. In the United Methodist Church, it's celebrated on the first Sunday in November. They remember saints and also members of their local church who have died. Sometimes, a candle is lit for each person whose name is called out.
A popular hymn sung on this day is "For All the Saints."
Halloween and All Saints' Day
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. It is the evening before All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day). Over time, Halloween has become more of a fun, non-religious holiday in many countries. However, some Christian groups still connect it to its religious beginnings.
Eastern Christian Traditions
The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates all saints together on the Sunday after Pentecost. This day is called All Saints' Sunday.
This tradition became more important in the 800s. Emperor Leo VI the Wise dedicated a church to "All Saints" after his wife, Theophano, died and miracles happened. It is believed that Leo expanded the feast to include all saints, not just martyrs.
This Sunday marks the end of the Easter season. Special readings and hymns are added to the church services to honor all saints, known and unknown.
Customs Around the World
Europe
- Austria and Bavaria: Godparents give braided pastries called Allerheiligenstriezel to godchildren. Families visit and decorate graves.
- Belgium: All Saints' Day is a public holiday. People visit cemeteries and place chrysanthemums on graves.
- France: Known as La Toussaint. People place flowers, especially chrysanthemums, or wreaths on tombs. November 1st is a public holiday.
- Germany: Allerheiligen is a public holiday in five states. It's a "silent day" where public entertainment is limited to keep the day serious.
- Hungary: Mindenszentek napja (All Saints Day) is a national holiday. Families visit cemeteries with candles and flowers.
- Poland: Dzień Wszystkich Świętych is a public holiday. Families gather to clean graves, light candles, and leave flowers.
- Portugal: Dia de Todos os Santos is a national holiday. Children go door-to-door for treats in a tradition called Pão-por-Deus.
- Spain: Día de Todos los Santos is a national holiday. People bring flowers to graves. The play Don Juan Tenorio is often performed.
Americas
- Guatemala: All Saints' Day is a national holiday. Guatemalans make a special meal called fiambre and visit cemeteries, leaving some for the dead. They also fly large kites to connect the living and the dead.
- Mexico: All Saints' Day is the first day of the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) celebration. This day remembers children who have died. The next day celebrates all deceased adults.
Philippines
In the Philippines, Allhallowtide is called Undás or Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead). Filipinos visit family graves to clean and fix them. They say prayers and offer flowers, candles, food, and sometimes incense. Many families also have reunions at the graves.
A tradition called pangangaluluwa (similar to trick-or-treating) existed before colonial times. People would pretend to be spirits and sing for rice cakes. If they didn't get treats, they would play tricks. This tradition is still seen in some rural areas.
Visiting graves and offering food and candles is a very old practice in the Philippines. It is believed to remember and comfort the spirits. Families often stay at the grave for the whole day and socialize. Fighting is not allowed during Undas.
Children are sometimes allowed to play with melted candles from tombs, forming them into wax balls. These balls symbolize that everything returns to where it began. Some families also light candles at their front door, one for each departed loved one, to guide the spirits.
Public Holidays
November 1st is a public holiday in many countries around the world. These include Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany (in some states), Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the Vatican, among others.
In some countries like Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, the All Saints' public holiday is moved to a Saturday between October 31st and November 6th.
In the Philippines, All Saints' Day is a special public holiday. In India, it's a public holiday in the state of Karnataka and a Christian religious holiday nationwide.
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
