‘All Saints Day’ observes today

Monday, November 1, 2021

Following the October 31 festivities associated with the secular holiday commonly known as Halloween is the commemoration of a holy day observed by members of the Catholic Church and other religions.

The devout mark Monday, November 1 as All Saints’ Day and use it to honor the lives of the church’s saints who are believed to be in heaven.

According to an article sponsored by the Your Catholic Voice Foundation, “The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. It should not be confused with All Souls’ Day, which is observed on November 2, and is dedicated to those who have died and not yet reached heaven.”

The observance is also known as ‘All Hallows’ Day,’ ‘Hallowmas,’ or ‘Feast of All Saints,’ and though it is commemorated on November 1 in Western churches, Eastern churches tend to observe the occasion on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the origin of All Saints’ Day cannot be traced with certainty, and has been observed on various days in different places. That said, the first evidence for the November 1 date of celebration occurred during the reign of Pope Gregory III (731–741), who dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s, Rome, on November 1 in honor of all saints.

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