When is All Saints’ Day?
On November 1 every year, All Saints’ Day also known as All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas, is celebrated the day after Halloween. ‘Hallow’ in Old English means ‘holy’ or ‘sacred,’ so Hallows’ Eve or Halloween simply means “the evening of holy persons” and refers to the evening before All Saints’ Day.
Why do Christians celebrate it?
In Catholic tradition, All Saints’ Day honors all saints and martyrs of the church who have passed on to the Kingdom of Heaven.
“We celebrate today the solemnity of All Saints. This invites us to turn our gaze to the immense multitude of those who have already reached the blessed land, and points us on the path that will lead us to that destination.” – Pope John Paul II
How is All Saints’ Day celebrated?
All Saints’ Day is generally considered a Holy Day of Obligation. There is a reading of the Beatitudes, the eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12a.
“Lord, as the saints in Heaven adore You for eternity, I beg for their intercession. Saints of God, please come to my aide. Pray for me and bring to me the grace I need to live a holy life in imitation of your own lives. All saints of God, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.”