What is All Saints' Day and when is it celebrated?
All Saints' Day is one of the oldest religious festivities in the Catholic Church, dating back almost 1,300 years. This holiday is celebrated every November 1st and is the day on which beings who are no longer on this earthly plane are honored and remembered.
That is why every All Saints' Day we can witness how cemeteries are totally crowded, except for these last years in which there have been restrictions due to the pandemic.
However, surely this year it will be crowded again as in the old days. Many people will visit the graves of their loved ones, taking into account the sanitary measures, of course.
Below we explain what All Saints' Day is, why it is celebrated and everything you need to know about this special day.
Origin of All Saints' Day
While All Saints' Day is a festive tradition that has been going on for many years, many do not know what All Saints' Day is and when it is celebrated.
This religious celebration is more than a thousand years old. It was Pope Gregory III who promoted this measure on behalf of the Catholic church. He was considered the highest authority of the church between the years 731 and 741 and was the one who consecrated a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica in honor and veneration of all the saints. After that, the Catholic Church sought that all the saints be venerated at least one day a year.
Later, in the middle of the ninth century, Pope Gregory IV extended this festivity to the entire Catholic Church in the year 835.
Why was November 1st chosen as the date for this celebration?
The year 835, when Pope Gregory IV was acting as a pontiff, was the time of Louis the pious, who was King of the Franks and the emperor of the West. At that time Pope Gregory IV decided to choose the date of November 1st, since it coincided with a celebration of the Germanic peoples. Therefore, the goal of the church, apart from honoring all the saints, was to eliminate pagan celebrations.
Traditions and particularities of the celebration of All Saints' Day
There are different ways to celebrate this holiday, depending on the country. While it is a celebration of Catholic tradition, in other countries it is also typical to visit their loved ones at the cemetery and bring an offering to honor them.
In Spain there are performances of Don Juan Tenorio on this day. It is also a tradition to eat certain foods during these days. Undoubtedly, the day of the saints is one of the most important religious celebrations for the Catholic Church and its parishioners.
Therefore, at Áltima, through our funeral services, we give you the opportunity to offer the precious tribute that your loved one deserves. In addition to beautiful and cozy spaces where the celebration of All Saints' Day, it will be a pleasant moment of family reunion to honor and remember the loved ones who died.
