All Saints' Day

On November 1, several countries celebrate All Saints’ Day.

Observed in

Public Holidays in Austria Austria
Public Holidays in Belgium Belgium
Public Holidays in Brazil Brazil
Public Holidays in France France
Public Holidays in Germany Germany
Public Holidays in Italy Italy
Public Holidays in Lithuania Lithuania
Public Holidays in Luxembourg Luxembourg
Public Holidays in Portugal Portugal
Public Holidays in Slovakia Slovakia
Public Holidays in Spain Spain
Public Holidays in Sweden Sweden

All Saints’ Day, is celebrated on the first Sunday in November, was originally a commemoration day for the dead saints held on 1st November.

The day survived the Reformation, though the Protestants combined it with All Souls’ Day, which was on 2 November.

The first All Saints’ Day occurred in 609 C.E. when Pope Boniface IV accepted the Pantheon in Rome as a gift from the Emperor Phocas.

The Pope dedicated the day as a holiday to honor the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs. During the reign of Pope Gregory III, the festival expanded to include the honoring of all Saints.

The day was abolished as a church festival in 1770, but is celebrated by the church on the first Sunday in November. In recent years, it has become common in many churches to commemorate those who died during the year on the day itself.

The tradition of placing candles on the graves the evening before All Saints’ Eve is becoming more common.

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