November 1, 2021, Barcelona, Spain: A man stands in front of graves decorated with flowers at the Poblenou cemetery of Barcelona.
November 01 is the Catholic holiday of All Saints, which is dedicated to the memory of the deceased.
(Credit Image:? Jordi Boixareu / ZUMA Press Wire)
(CNN) -
Every year on November 1, many Roman Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate All Saints' Day, which honors all the saints in the Church who are considered to have reached heaven.
In the Orthodox Church, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
Here is a review of the history and traditions of this religious holiday.
Where does All Saints' Day come from?
Although now celebrated in November, All Saints' Day was originally celebrated on May 13, although the origin cannot be traced with certainty, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Pope Boniface IV formally initiated what would later become known as All Saints' Day on May 13 in 609, when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome as a church in honor of the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs.
The current date of November 1 was established by Pope Gregory III during his tenure (731-741) when he dedicated a chapel in Rome's St. Peter's Basilica in honor of all the saints.
Although at first this celebration was limited to Rome, later, in the year 837, Pope Gregory IV ordered the official observance of All Saints' Day every November 1 and extended its celebration to the entire Church.
All Saints really means ALL Saints
While many canonized saints are celebrated with their own individual feasts (such as St. Patrick), saints who have not been canonized have no particular celebration.
advertising
All Saints' Day recognizes those whose holiness only God knows.
Still, Catholic celebrations tend to focus on known saints, those canonized by the Catholic Church.
A sacred obligation
According to Catholic Online, within the Catholic Church, All Saints Day is generally considered a Holy Day of Obligation, meaning that all Catholics must attend Mass unless they are handicapped by illness or another suitable excuse.
However, the mass is not mandatory in 2021 because the party falls on Monday.
As long as November 1 falls on a Monday or Saturday, Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass, but it is not required.
After the Protestant Reformation, many of the Protestant groups kept celebrating All Saints' Day.
Methodists, for example, recognize it as a day to sincerely thank God for the lives and deaths of the Saints, according to Christianity.com.
Celebrations around the world
While it is not a public holiday in the United States, All Saints Day is officially celebrated in many countries.
In France and Germany, people have the day off and businesses are closed.
In countries like the Philippines, where All Saints Day is known as "Undas," the day is not just to remember the saints, but to honor and remember deceased loved ones, usually with prayers, flowers, and good offerings.
All Saints Day