All Saints’ Day is a Catholic holiday that celebrates all saints on November 1st. It is the eve of the day of prayer for the deceased.
Originally, martyrs were commemorated together on the same day by the Syrian Church starting from the 4th century. In the 5th century, Churches created lists of saints who had accomplished significant missions. They were honored each year. The All Saints’ Day then began to be celebrated in the West, on different dates for each Church.
In 610, Pope Boniface IV chose the date of May 13th. November 1st was set a century later by Pope Gregory III. However, for the Byzantine Church, it is on the Sunday after Pentecost.
Gregory IV made this celebration global in 835. It has been one of the eight feasts with an obligation to attend mass since the 20th century.
The Catholic Church canonizes people “faithful to God,” who have accomplished “extraordinary” tasks, to recognize them as “models.” They have followed “the path of the Beatitudes.”
Traditionally, death and the deceased are commemorated in November. November 2nd is marked by the day of remembrance for all the deceased. As this day is not a public holiday, most people take advantage of the fact that it is the day before to visit and flower the graves of their loved ones.
