1
November. 1662 Book of Common Prayer: All Saints’ Day
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows, Solemnity of All Saints,[3] or Feast of All Saints)[4] is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by the Catholic Church and several Protestant denominations, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. The liturgical celebration begins at Vespers on the evening of 31 October and ends at the close of 1 November. It is thus the day before All Souls' Day.
Hallowmas is another term for the feast, and was used by Shakespeare in this sense.[5][6] However, a few recent writers have applied this term to the three days from 31 October to 2 November inclusive,[7] as a synonym for the triduum of Hallowtide.[8]
In Catholic theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Catholic Church and many Anglican churches, the next day specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven. Christians who celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day do so in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the "Church triumphant"), and the living (the "Church militant"). Other Christian traditions define, remember and respond to the saints in different ways; for example, in the Methodist Church, the word "saints" refers to all Christians and therefore, on All Saints' Day, the Church Universal, as well as the deceased members of a local congregation, are honored and remembered.[9]
Contents
- 1 In the East
- 2 In the West
- 3 Customs
- 4 See also
- 5 Notes
- 6 References
- 7 Further reading
- 8 External links
In the East
Christ is enthroned in heaven surrounded by the ranks of angels and saints. At the bottom is Paradise with the bosom of Abraham (left), and the Good Thief (right).
The Eastern Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Tradition commemorate all saints collectively on the first Sunday after Pentecost, All Saints' Sunday (Greek: Αγίων Πάντων, Agiōn Pantōn).
The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Leo VI "the Wise" (886–911). His wife, Empress Theophano — commemorated on 16 December — lived a devout life. After her death in 893,[10] her husband built a church, intending to dedicate it to her. When he was forbidden to do so, he decided to dedicate it to "All Saints", so that if his wife were in fact one of the righteous, she would also be honored whenever the feast was celebrated.[11] According to tradition, it was Leo who expanded the feast from a commemoration of All Martyrs to a general commemoration of All Saints, whether martyrs or not.
This Sunday marks the close of the Paschal season. To the normal Sunday services are added special scriptural readings and hymns to all the saints (known and unknown) from the Pentecostarion.
In the late spring, the Sunday following Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter) is set aside as a commemoration of all locally venerated saints, such as "All Saints of America", "All Saints of Mount Athos", etc. The third Sunday after Pentecost may be observed for even more localized saints, such as "All Saints of St. Petersburg", or for saints of a particular type, such as "New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke".
In addition to the Sundays mentioned above, Saturdays throughout the year are days for general commemoration of all saints, and special hymns to all saints are chanted from the Octoechos.
In the Maronite Church, the Sunday of the Righteous and Just is the traditional Maronite feast in honor of all saints.
In the West
The Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day falls on 1 November, followed by All Souls' Day on 2 November, and is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honored by a special day. As early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. [12]
On 13 May 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary;[12] the feast of the dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since. There is evidence that from the fifth through the seventh centuries there existed in certain places and at sporadic intervals a feast date on 13 May to celebrate the holy martyrs.[13] The origin of All Saints' Day cannot be traced with certainty, and it has been observed on various days in different places. However, there are some who maintain the belief that it has origins in the pagan observation of 13 May, the Feast of the Lemures, in which the malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated. Liturgiologists base the idea that this Lemuria festival was the origin of that of All Saints on their identical dates and on the similar theme of "all the dead".[14]
The feast of All Saints, on its current date, is traced to the foundation by Pope Gregory III (741–731) of an oratory in St. Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world",[15] with the day moved to 1 November and the 13 May feast suppressed.[16]
This fell on the Celtic holiday of Samhain, which had a theme similar to the Roman festival of Lemuria, but which was also a harvest festival. The Irish, having celebrated Samhain in the past, did not celebrate All Hallows Day on this 1 November date, as extant historical documents attest that the celebration in Ireland took place in the spring: "...the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght prove that the early medieval churches [in Ireland] celebrated the feast of All Saints on April 20."[17]
A November festival of all the saints was already widely celebrated on 1 November in the days of Charlemagne. It was made a day of obligation throughout the Frankish empire in 835, by a decree of Louis the Pious, issued "at the instance of Pope Gregory IV and with the assent of all the bishops",[15] which confirmed its celebration on 1 November. The octave was added by Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484).[15]
The festival was retained after the Reformation in the calendar of the Anglican Church and in many Lutheran churches.[15] In the Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden, it assumes a role of general commemoration of the dead. In the Swedish calendar, the observance takes place on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November. In many Lutheran Churches, it is moved to the first Sunday of November. In the Church of England it may be celebrated either on 1 November or on the Sunday between 30 October and 5 November. It is also celebrated by other Protestants of the English tradition, such as the United Church of Canada, the Methodist churches, and the Wesleyan Church.
Protestants generally regard all true Christian believers as saints and if they observe All Saints Day at all they use it to remember all Christians both past and present. In the United Methodist Church, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in November. It is held, not only to remember Saints, but also to remember all those who have died who were members of the local church congregation. In some congregations, a candle is lit by the Acolyte as each person's name is called out by the clergy. Prayers and responsive readings may accompany the event. Often, the names of those who have died in the past year are affixed to a memorial plaque.
In many Lutheran churches, All Saints' Day and Reformation Day are observed concurrently on the Sunday before or after those dates, given Reformation Day is observed in Protestant Churches on 31 October. Typically, Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" is sung during the service. Besides discussing Luther's role in the Protestant Reformation, some recognition of the prominent early leaders of the Reformed tradition, such as John Calvin and John Knox, occurs. The observance of Reformation Day may be immediately followed by a reading of those members of the local congregation who have died in the past year in observance of All Saints' Day. Otherwise, the recognition of deceased church members occurs at another designated portion of the service.
Customs
All Saints' Day at a
cemetery in Sanok - flowers and light candles to honour the memory of
deceased relatives. Poland, 1 November 2011
In Mexico, Portugal and Spain, offerings (Portuguese: oferendas, Spanish: ofrendas) are made on this day. In Spain and Mexico the play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed.
All Saints' Day in Mexico, coincides with the first day of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebration. Known as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents), it honours deceased children and infants.
Portuguese children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition (also called santorinho, bolinho or fiéis de Deus) going door-to-door, where they receive cakes, nuts and pomegranates. This occurs all over Portugal.
Hallowmas in the Philippines is variously called "Undas" (based on the word for "[the] first"), "Todos los Santos" (literally "All Saints"), and sometimes "Áraw ng mga Patáy" (lit. "Day of the Dead"), which refers to the following day of All Souls' Day but includes it. Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting the graves of family dead, often cleaning and repairing them. Offerings of prayers, flowers, candles, and even food are made, while Filipino-Chinese additionally burn incense and kim. Many also spend the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the graves, playing music or singing karaoke.[18]
In Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, France, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, and American cities such as New Orleans, people take flowers to the graves of dead relatives. In some places in Portugal people also light candles in the graves.
In Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Catholic parts of Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Sweden, the tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives.
In English-speaking countries, the festival is traditionally celebrated with the hymn "For All the Saints" by Walsham How. The most familiar tune for this hymn is Sine Nomine by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Another hymn that is popularly sung during corporate worship on this day is "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God".
See also
- Day of the Dead
- Dziady
- Irish calendar
- Litany of the Saints
- Veneration of the dead
- 1755 Lisbon earthquake which occurred on this day and had a great effect on society and philosophy
Notes
1. Jump up ^ Marty, Martin E. (2007). Lutheran questions, Lutheran answers : exploring Christian faith. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-8066-5350-1. Retrieved 2 November 2011. "All Lutherans celebrate All Saints Day, and many
sing, "For all the saints, who from their labors rest. . .""
2. Jump up ^ Laura Huff Hileman (2003). "What
is All Saint's Day?". The Upper Room (United Methodist
Church).
Retrieved 31 October 2011.
"Saints are just people who are trying to listen to God's word and live
God's call. This is "the communion of saints" that we speak of in the
Apostle's Creed -- that fellowship of believers that reaches beyond time and
place, even beyond death."[dead link]
4. Jump up ^ The Anglican Service Book. Good Shepherd Press. 1 September 1991. p. 677. ISBN 0962995509. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
7. Jump up ^ Bannatyne, Lesley Pratt (1 August 1998). Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History. Pelican Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 1565543467. Retrieved 1 November 2012. "The Church brought its saints' celebrations to
every new land it conquered. The celebrations on the eve of All Saints, All
Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (the three were referred to as Hallowmas) spread
throughout Europe. From the British Isles to France to Poland and Italy, the
religious remembrance of the ancestral dead became an annual celebration of
major importance."
8. Jump up ^ Leslie, Frank (1895). "Frank
Leslie's Popular Monthly". Allhallowtide (Frank Leslie Publishing House).
p. 539.
Retrieved 9 April 2014.
"Just as the term "Eastertide" expresses for us the whole of the
church services and ancient customs attached to the festival of Easter, from
Palm Sunday until Easter Monday, so does All-hallowtide include for us all the
various customs, obsolete and still observed, of Halloween, All Saints' and All
Souls' Days. From the 31st of October until the morning of the 3d of November,
this period of three days, known as All-hallowtide, is full of traditional and
legendary lore."
9. Jump up ^ The Rev. J. Richard Peck (2011). "Do
United Methodists believe in saints?". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "We also recognize and celebrate All Saints' Day
(Nov. 1) and "all the saints who from their labors rest". United
Methodists call people "saints" because they exemplified the
Christian life. In this sense, every Christian can be considered a saint."
10. Jump up ^ The date in Vita Euthymii, not printed until 1888 "makes it seem practically
(though not absolutely) certain that she died on 10 Nov. 893".(Downey 1956, pp. 301–305)
12. ^ Jump up to: a b Mershman, Francis.
"All Saints' Day." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 2 Mar. 2014
14. Jump up ^ For example, Violet Alford ("The Cat
Saint", Folklore 52.3 [September 1941:161-183] p. The FRench
celebtrate it.181 note 56) observes that "Saints were often confounded
with the Lares or Dead. Repasts for both were prepared in early
Christian times, and All Saints' Day was transferred in 835 to November 1st
from one of the days in May which were the old Lemuralia"; Alford notes Pierre Saintyves, Les saints successeurs des dieux, Paris 1906 (sic, i.e.
1907).
16. Jump up ^ "All Saints' Day", The Oxford
Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition, ed. E. A. Livingstone
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), 41-42; The New Catholic Encyclopedia, eo.loc.
17. Jump up ^ Hutton, Ronald (1996). Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual
Year in Britain. New York: Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN 0-19-285448-8.
18. Jump up ^ 2011 Business Mirror - Government bans sharp instruments and guns during
All saints day
References
- Glanville, Downey (1956). "The Church of All Saints (Church of St. Theophano) near the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople". Dumbarton Oaks Papers 9/10: 301–305.
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in
the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "All Saints, Festival
of". Encyclopædia Britannica 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Further reading
Langgärtner, Georg. "All Saints' Day." In The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 41. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN 0802824137
External links
- All Saints and All Souls Day American Catholic
- All Saints Sunday Orthodox England
- A Vigil service for All Saints All Hallows' E'en - "Halloween"
- First Sunday after Pentecost, or All Saints Sunday by Sergei Bulgakov, Handbook for Church Servers
- Synaxis of All Saints Icon and Synaxarion of the feast
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