Every November 1st we celebrate All Saints’ Day and we do it with different traditions in different parts of the world and even disparate customs in each town or family. But going back in history,When is All Saints’ Day and why is it celebrated?? Let’s see how and why this festivity arose, which is still very present in our society and is part of our culture.
When is All Saints Day 2021
All Saints’ Day 2021 is November 1, which falls on a Monday this year. Perhaps the youngest will find the date recognized because it is very close to a celebration that more and more places have been adopting, gaining followers, mainly among the young public.
We are talking about Halloween, although this holiday is obviously somewhat related to All Saints’ Day, but one and the other have nothing to do with it. Halloween is a pagan holiday, while All Saints’ Day is a religious tribute.
Why is All Saints’ Day 2021 celebrated?
If we look at the calendar we will see that each day of the month is dedicated to a Saint or a Saint. However, there are many more Saints who do not have a date recognized or reflected in their honor. In order to also pay tribute to them, All Saints’ Day was established. Actually, according to the Bible, we are all called to be Saints.
Those souls who have managed to overcome their difficulties on the path to divinity by being released from purgatory are considered to be saints. Therefore, the idea that each of these departed souls is worthy of celebration and that we remember them with love, admiration and gratitude especially on their day.
The first time one thinks of commemorating this day is in the 8th century when the Pope Gregory III decide to dedicate a chapel in the Basilica of Saint Peter to All Saints. Perhaps wanting to counteract the festival of the pagans that was celebrated on the same date and that receives the name of Samhain or more famously “Halloween”, with which the end of summer was celebrated, on the eve of all saints. Thus, since the 8th century, Catholic countries also have their celebration. Later, Gregory IV extended the festivity into a popular event.
It is common for families to bring flowers to the cemetery to remember their loved ones, as well as placing candles and presents in the cemetery itself or on small altars in the home. The most religious go to mass. While in certain parts of the world the celebration goes further, it is common for them to have authentic parties as a way of invoking the spirits to thank them or request favors. They stand out as countries where people live the most All Saints Dayfor example, Mexico, Guatemala, Ireland or Cambodia.
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