All Saints Day

Carlos Rangel

· 27 Jun 2021

All Saints Day

#yoorsnovember November 1 is celebrated in various parts of the world the Day of All Saints, a Catholic date that seeks to pay tribute to all the saints who have existed throughout history and even those souls who have already passed purgatory and are in the kingdom of heaven. These souls are already considered holy because they are under the presence of God.

A bit of history about this solemn date

The early church used to celebrate the day of the death of a martyr who gave his life for the work of God. It was quite common for these deaths to occur in groups, since the first Christians gathered to convey the teachings of the gospel of Christ. On those occasions, a single common holiday was held.

But over time and especially after the persecution of Diocletian, also known as the Great Persecution, where an immense number of Christians died at the hands of the Roman army, the Church had to group its martyrs into a single holiday.

The first day celebration for All Saints dates back to Antioch on the Sunday before the Pentecost holidays during the Easter. Another mention of a common day to pay tribute to the saints is named in the sermon of St. Ephrem the Sirius dating back to 373, but in this only the martyrs and St. John the Baptist. It would not be until 731 that Pope Gregory III consecrate St. Peter's Basilica to all saints and establish the feast on November 1.

Despite the fact that All Saints Day is a solemn date, tradition has been somewhat distorted over the centuries and every country or region of the world celebrates it very differently.

In Latin America it is customary to go to visit the tombs of ancestors and in countries like Mexico, not only do you visit, there is also a picnic around the tomb, masks, colored ribbons are placed and even dishes are cooked exclusive for that day. The aim of this is to remind the deceased and celebrate that day the mantle towards the world of souls is much thinner and they are allowed to be with the living.

Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico
In the United States and other countries, this date has been diluted with Halloween, which in turn is the modern interpretation of a pagan holiday known as “Samhain”. It is a holiday in honor of harvesting the harvest and also indicates the end of the year. In ancient times, winter marked the end of everything. But as a funny fact, this end of the year also represents the exact moment when the borders of the physical world and the spiritual world open up, allowing communication between the living and the dead.

In other regions of the world such as Asia, ancestors are worshiped and in the Philippines there are also huge banquets in cemeteries in honor of the deceased.

On the other hand, in Spain, although we visit the dead, it is also a tradition to present José Zorrilla's play “Don Juan Tenorio” in theatres.