All Saints’ Day, which is also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas or Feast of All Saints is a Christian festival celebration of all saints to honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In Western Christianity, it is celebrated on November 1 every year. While in the Eastern Christianity, they celebrate it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. All Saints’ Day is closely tied with All Souls’ Day which is held on 2nd November every year, which is devoted to prayers for the gone who are not yet glorified.
All Saints Day 2019
Basic Facts & Meaning about All Saints Day
Type: Christianity
Celebration Duration: One Day
Liturgical Colour: White (Western Christianity) and green (Eastern Christianity)
Type of Holiday: Solemnity, Holy Day of Obligation in West; Feast (East)
Time of Year: November 1 and Sunday after Pentecost in Orthodox Churches.
Signifies: All Christian Saints, known and unknown
Alternative Names: All Hallows, Hallowmas, Halloween
Scriptural References: Mark 12:26-27; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 12:1, Revelation 5:8
Background: According to the sources the idea behind All Saints’ Day goes back in 4th century when the Greek Christians held a festival on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the late May or early June in order to honour all martyr and saints.
Introduction
Although the Church on various saint days celebrates holy men and women throughout the year, but the Sombreness of All Saints is when the Church honours every saint: those formally known and honoured on the Church calendar, and saints known only to God. The information about many saints is recorded and then they honour them on specific days. There are many unknown or unrewarded saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been honoured exactly, therefore, on All Saints Day, people celebrate all these holy entities, and ask for their prayers and interventions. This concept is also similar to the American holidays of Veterans Day and Presidents Day, where a group of people are honoured on that day.
Prayers on All Saints’ Day
These are some of the prayers which are practiced on the All Saints’ Day occasions to give honour to the martyr and saints.
A Catholic Prayer in Praise of the Saints
Author: Unknown
Time Period: 10th century
How shining and splendid are your gifts, O Lord
Which you give us for our eternal well-being
Your glory shines radiantly in your saints, O God
In the honour and noble victory of the martyrs
The white-robed company follow you,
Bright with their abundant faith;
They scorned the wicked words of those with this world’s power.
For you they sustained fierce beatings, chains, and torments,
They were drained by cruel punishments.
They bore their holy witness to you
Who were grounded deep within their hearts
They were sustained by patience and constancy.
Endowed with your everlasting grace, may we rejoice forever
With the martyrs in our bright fatherland
O Christ, in your goodness,
Grant to us the gracious heavenly realms of eternal life.
A Prayer to the Saints and Angels Before Mass
Angels, Archangels,
Thrones, Dominions,
Principalities, Powers,
Heavenly Virtues,
Cherubim and Seraphim;
All Saints of God,
Holy men and women,
And especially my patrons:
Intercede for me
That I may be worthy
To offer this Sacrifice to almighty God,
To the praise and glory of His name,
For my own welfare
And also that of all His holy Church
Amen
From the Roman Missal
Catholic Liturgy of the Hours All-Saints Prayer
Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,
Today we rejoice in the holy men and women
Of every time and place
May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Liturgy of the Hours
A Prayer for Saintly Grace
Almighty and Everlasting God,
Who does enkindle the flame of They love in the hearts of the saints,
Grant unto us the same faith and power of love;
That, as we rejoice in their triumphs
We may profit by their examples, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gothic Missal
Traditions, Customs, Symbols, and Typology on All Saints’ Day
Traditions and Customs followed on All Saints’ Day
- There are various traditions followed on All Saints’ Day in different countries, but one common tradition is Visiting Churchyards or graveyard. In some countries people bring flowers to the graves of the dead relatives and in other countries people light candles on the top of visiting graves of diseased relatives.
- Giving “Soul Cakes”, which is traditionally made on All Saints’ Day to honour the dead in the Christian tradition. On this day soul cakes are distributed amongst the poor.
Symbols associated with All Saints’ Day
Symbols commonly associated with All Saints’ Day are:
- A Sheaf of Wheat
- Rayed Manus Dei (Hand of God)
- The Crown
- Symbols or images of Individual Saints
Old Testimony Typology Indicating All Saints’ Day
- All old Testament Holy Men and Women
- Old Testament Martyrs
- God’s Agreements with Groups of People
