Celebrated on November 1st, All Saints’ Day is a Catholic religious holiday. Not to be confused with the day of remembrance of all the deceased, celebrated on November 2!
Established in the year 610 by Pope Boniface IV, All Saints’ Day is the occasion to celebrate all the saints and to commemorate the martyrs whose number is unknown and who, therefore, could not be given a particular feast.
Many of these saints lived at different times. It was the desire to be open to the love of God that brought them together.
It was on this day that the relics of the martyrs found their place in the Pantheon, long used as a pagan temple.
Although its date is set on November 1, a public holiday in France, it has long been celebrated during the Pentecost and Easter holiday periods.
Unlike many other Catholic holidays, All Saints’ Day does not exist in religious texts. The purpose of this feast is to remind us that the goal of our existence on earth is not death but rather heaven and the kingdom of God.
Holiness has never been reserved for the elite, it is the path chosen by many people, rich and poor, to follow the path of Christ.
All Saints’ Day is therefore an opportunity to recall that everyone is called to holiness.
In the 20th century, Pope Pius X added All Saints’ Day to the list of feasts with the “obligation to hear Mass.”
But how is All Saints’ Day celebrated in France?
This day is dedicated to honoring the saints, going to church and visiting departed loved ones to lay a bouquet of flowers. The French also take advantage of this day to meet each other and to go for a walk.
