All Saints Day is a Christian observance day celebrated by various sects, including the Roman Catholic Church, on November 1. It commemorates saints and martyrs, and is followed by All Souls’ Day. Other Christian sects may celebrate at different times, and some merge the two days. The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches celebrate on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In some countries, the day is connected with pagan festivals, and in Mexico, it is linked to the Day of the Dead.
All Saints Day is a Christian observance day. It is most commonly associated with the Roman Catholic Church, but is also an important day in the Eastern Orthodox churches and many other Christian sects, such as the Methodist and Anglican churches. It can be a bit confusing to understand because it can be celebrated by different churches at different times and can have a slightly different meaning from sect to sect.
In Roman Catholicism, All Saints’ Day is celebrated on November 1 and is a day of obligation. This means that Catholics typically attend mass on this day. For many Catholic school children, this has been a treat, since the holidays usually mean schools close the day after Halloween.
The initial call for this celebration, which for Catholics commemorates those in heaven, including saints and martyrs, occurred in the very first church. In early church documents, each martyr or saint had his own “day,” but there were just too many martyrs to continue this practice. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV chose May 7 as a day of commemoration for all martyrs. Later, in the 8th century, the date was moved to November 13th.
In the Roman church, this day is followed by All Souls’ Day, when people can remember those who have died and are likely to be in heaven. They may not have achieved it yet, but usually their family and close friends believe they will. There is considerable discussion in many mainstream Catholic circles about the teaching of Purgatory, and some people do not give these teachings as much credence as they did in the past. Therefore, All Souls Day may just be a day of remembrance for lost loved ones and not so much a reflection on whether or not those loved ones are in heaven.
The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches celebrate All Saints’ Day at a different time, the first Sunday after Pentecost. Their celebration of the day differs slightly from the Roman Catholic interpretation. It is a day to reflect on all the “known or unknown” saints.
Other sects of Christianity may observe this day at other times. Many do it on the first Sunday in November, and some of the observations merge All Saints’ Day and All Saints’ Day and become days of reflection on all who have died. Some churches make this a day of remembrance for congregants who died the previous year.
In various counties, All Saints Day is often connected with pagan festivals or rituals practiced before the introduction of Christianity. In Mexico, Day of the Dead is an ancient practice traced back to people like the Aztecs and Mayans. Since Mexico is now a predominantly Catholic country, however, All Souls’ Day is often connected to both All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
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