I’ve always loved learning new things and Charlie is like me and also loves researching and learning about things he didn’t know. With today being November 1st which is All Saints’ Day #AllSaintsDay another #Holiday that is going to be a teaching moment for my family.
If your #Homeschooling remember you can think outside the box and use these #Holiday in your Studies. Which is what I would have done if Charlie had still been attending Homeschool. Come and share with my family what you know about All Saints Day be leaving me a comment below.
All Saints Day on November 1st is holy in the Western Christian tradition, celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and more. All Saints Day is designed to show honor and reverence to Saints both canonized and unknown, and in some faiths also to give thanks to those who have guided others to Christ, like a friend or relative.
Around the world, there are many traditions woven into All Saints’ Day, from the laying of flowers on graves on November 1st to the Mexican Day of the Dead which honors children who have passed on, on the holiday’s first day not to mention Halloween in the U.S. and Canada, a celebration that originally was in large part linked to All Saints’ Day.
On May 13th, in the year 609 A.D. or 610 A.D., Pope Boniface IV consecrated the day and ordered an anniversary to celebrate the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs. He may have chosen May 13th because many Churches in the East already had a similar day to honor the dead and the Martyrs.
This day was Pope Gregory III (690–741 A.D.) who moved the date of All Saints’ Day to November 1st on the Old Style calendar when he founded an Oratory in St. Peter’s at the Vatican to exalt the Apostles, Saints, Martyrs, and “all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world.”
In the years and decades that followed, various influential figures in the Church and government used their power to make All Saints’ Day an official observance in different Christian sects and denominations. Today, All Saints Day is also known depending on the location and branch of the Church as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, the Feast of All Saints, and the Solemnity of All Saints.
So you can be reasonably sure that any Christian friend of yours will be holding ancient miracle workers in their heart today reach out and ask what All Saints’ Day means to them, if you’re not Christian yourself. Then enjoy All Saints Day with your friends and family.
HOW TO OBSERVE ALL SAINTS DAY
- Take the opportunity today and attend a service which goes for a suggestion to both our Christian readers and our Agnostic or Atheist ones. A curious friend who wants to experience a Church service is almost always welcome, and to experience solemnity and beauty, All Saints’ Day is a hard one to match.
- In North America, that means either Halloween or the Day of the Dead. There’s no reason not to go about either one the way you usually do, but with the added perspective of internally honoring history’s beatific figures including Mother Teresa, for example who did real work to aid and protect the poor and underserved.
- The internet is rife with information about every topic including the rich and textured history of All Saints’ Day. Whether you take a stance of faith or skepticism, write a few paragraphs on your point of view and post them to your Socials but make sure you’re respectful of either side. You’ll be surprised at the depth of the responses you get.
FACTS ABOUT MOTHER TERESA
- Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu who left her family to join the convent at the age of 18, and never saw them again.
- Even as devout as she was, Mother Teresa confessed religious doubt in letters she wrote, saying, “Where is my faith?”
- After her father’s death when she was only eight years old, Agnes’s mother took special care to teach her charity, for example, with the words, “Never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others.”
- In 1982, Mother Teresa went under the radar to make an unpublicized trip to War-torn Beirut, where she served the children of both the Christian-dominated and Muslim-dominated sides of the City.
- Mother Teresa was nominated for and won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her services to the sick and hungry.
WHY ALL SAINTS DAY IS IMPORTANT
It’s about selflessness;
- Whether you as an individual believe the old religious stories about Saints, Martyrs, and miracle-workers to be literal truth or not, Saints became Saints for the good works they did in the spirit of Christianity as an institution of brotherly love, not a Church of hatred toward those who are different.
2. It honors amazing people:
Boomers and Gen-Xers will remember Pope John Paul II, known for his true charity and his gentle handling of the most important Church matters at the Vatican. He was canonized as a Saint in 2014 by Pope Francis. John Paul and Mother Teresa are just two examples of very real people doing very admirable work who went on to be named ‘Saint.’
3. It leads to All Souls’ Day:
This is a time to remember and honor all those who have passed away in one’s life. We don’t think anyone would suggest that thinking reverently of those you’ve lost is a bad thing to do.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
