Tag: all saints' day

Day of the Dead: When Alive and Dead Are Brought Together
Catholics commemorate the Day of the Dead on November 2, a day that is not to be confused with Halloween or All Saints’ Day. Under a usually dismal sky that heralds the start of winter, the living crowd the windswept lanes of cemeteries, and chrysanthemums decorate the graves. Even though every faith has its own perspective on the afterlife, Christianity’s emphasis on the immortality of the soul and the fellowship of saints was a profound spiritual breakthrough for its time. This holiday provides a perfect time to reflect on these key tenets of Christian belief and the origins of this office of the dead, which dates back to the High Middle Ages.
The Principle of the Communion of Saints
The two events, celebrated on November 1 and 2, respectively, are connected by the Feast of All Saints. As a return to the notion of intercession within the framework of the communion of saints, the Feast of All Saints commemorates all the Christian saints, both known and unknown to the Church, and sets them up as an example for all the faithful.
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The Church celebrates the broad concept of the communion of saints on the Day of the Dead. All Christians, both alive and dead, are brought together in the communion of saints, a great community of solidarity that transcends place and time.
Catholics believe that the departed who have entered God’s kingdom (such as the saints commemorated the day before) may intercede on behalf of the living. However, the other way that Catholic solidarity might flow is from the living to the dead.
Danse Macabre or Dance of Death by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1538.
Some of the dead have to go through a mysterious purification process called purgatory before they may reach God’s kingdom. A lot of people, particularly in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, had some very wild ideas about what happens in Purgatory. Some shady popes even sold “indulgences” to those hoping to reduce their own or a loved one’s time spent in purgatory. The monk Martin Luther, frustrated at being ignored, blamed this anomaly for the Church split that eventually gave rise to Protestantism.
These days, purgatory is seen more as a process of cleansing during which the prayers of the living might aid the souls of the recently departed. There is a tight connection between the concept of the communion of saints and the vision of the Church as the body of Christ made up of the baptized of all times.
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Therefore, the Day of the Dead is not a macabre celebration; rather, it serves as a reminder of the continuation of the people of the baptized beyond death, the preservation of unity, and the strengthening of connections of solidarity between those who are born on Earth and those who are born in Heaven.
The Origins of the Day
Christians have always prayed for the deceased because of their faith in the soul’s immortality, but special days were set aside to do so. It is very debatable whether or not Christians really “Christianized” ancient pagan celebrations like Samhain (Halloween). There is no denying that the Day of the Dead evolved from earlier commemorations of the dead.
Even more so, this universal inquiry and this fatality, which is death, are commemorated in at least one holiday across the board, across cultures, and across faiths. But for some people, especially in Roman culture, these festivals had a more sinister purpose: to ward off the spirits of the departed. To keep them where they belong, ceremonies are done and offerings are made. The world of the dead or afterlife’s limbo once had a hopeless reputation, but this has started to change slowly with the arrival of various cults.
The early Christians had a very different perspective on death; they saw it simply as a doorway into God’s kingdom and believed that a bond could be kept alive between the living and the dead. It’s no longer a matter of appeasing the dead, but of just carrying on with their presence in your life, and the reasoning shifts dramatically. Because of this, it appears more accurate to argue that the Christian celebration of the dead succeeded the pagan celebrations rather than inheriting them. Since the beginning of winter is often associated with the beginning of death in many cultures, the dates’ coincidence serves as symbolic proof.
A Feast Dedicated to the Dead
Christians pray for the deceased on a regular basis, and very early on, a service was held just for them. Amalarius mentioned an office for the deceased as early as the year 820.
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Odilo of Cluny imposed the date of November 2, the day following All Saints’ Day, on all of his monasteries in 998, presumably invoking the same concept of communion of saints.
This day first sanctioned by Pope Leo IX (1049–1054) and became a fixture in the Christian calendar. In fact, it gained so much popularity that all of Christendom adopted November 2 as the official Day of the Dead in the 13th century (at least the ones dependent on Rome, the Armenians, for example, celebrate their dead at Easter).
Many European Christians traditionally visit cemeteries on the holiday of All Saints’ Day (which falls on November 1) to place flowers on the graves of the departed. In Mexico, the celebration is given special significance via a process of syncretism in which pre-Columbian practices of honoring the deceased are kept alive.
November 3, 2022
All Saints’ Day: Origin and History
The Catholic Church commemorates All Saints’ Day, a feast honoring God and all the saints, on November 1st. Since the beginning of the Church, Christians have honored the lives of the saints who died as martyrs.
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Many cultures are familiar with All Saints’ Day because of the time off from school that it often coincides with. Despite its apparent name, All Saints’ Day is often confused with the subsequent All Souls’ Day and, to a lesser extent, with the preceding Halloween celebration.
Origin of All Saints’ Day
Origin
Before the 16th-century notion of devotion to the saints by the Pope, there were already several kinds of canonizations by various Christian groups. The origin of this day dates back even before the 12th-century canonization process. It’s believed that All Saints’ Day has been celebrated since at least the 5th century. Since no one date had been chosen during that period, most countries (including Syria and Rome) celebrated All Saints’ Day around Easter.
History
The Intercession of St. Francis Xavier, France, 17th century.
All Saints’ Day has been celebrated annually on May 13 since 610, when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Roman Pantheon, rechristened as the Church of St. Mary and Martyrs. Some believe that the date of November 1 was chosen in the 8th century, during the dedication of a chapel to all the saints in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope Gregory III. However, others believe that this date was first chosen in 830, when Pope Gregory IV ordered the universality of All Saints’ Day, making it common to all of Christendom.
Unlike the next day’s All Souls’ Day, which is not a public holiday in some countries, All Saints’ Day is celebrated by many countries on November 1. For this reason, many Christians actually commemorate All Saints’ Day by doing rituals often associated with All Souls’ Day, such as paying respects at graves.
How Is All Saints’ Day Commemorated?
During All Saints’ Day, the believer does not pray to the saint, as is commonly assumed, but simply to God (in his three forms). The faithful person is “pleased” with expressing his or her appreciation for the saint and asking for the saint’s intercession with God. Therefore, the saint is not a god but rather a mediator between the believer and God.
In response to Protestant accusations that Catholics worshiped saints, this distinction was hammered out especially strongly at the Council of Trent (1545–1563). Protestants still don’t put much stock in saints, even today. The doctrine of the communion of saints is still not accepted by Protestants.
The Catholic Church glorifies persons who they believe had a direct connection with God by canonizing them and designating a day after them. However, the Catholic Church does not make the claim that they know all there is to know about all the saints who have lived and made it to heaven. This leads the church to believe that there are more saints than it is aware of, all of whom are worthy of worship.
The celebration of All Saints’ Day is an answer to this issue; it serves to reaffirm the connection between contemporary Christians and the many saints who have come before them, both those commemorated in the calendar and others who have been all but forgotten by history. All Saints’ Day is not only a day to honor the dead but also a time for Christians to reflect on how their own lives may emulate the sacrifices of the saints they honor.
The saints serve an important pedagogical purpose. A portion of Saint Mark’s Gospel read on All Saints’ Day is seen as crucial; it serves as a guide to holiness in its most distilled form.
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What Exactly Is a Saint?
According to Catholic teaching, a saint is an outstanding human being (or an angel) who lived a good life on Earth. Actions that are totally consistent with what Jesus of Nazareth preached. Some of the saints were martyred because of how dedicated they were to their religion. According to the Catholic canon, others have worked miracles as well. Of course, seeing a miracle or dying a martyr is not required to become holy.
Popes have been bestowing this level of sanctity through the beatification and canonization processes since the 13th century. It seems that people who have been canonized are those who have achieved everlasting bliss and are now at peace with God. The Catholic Church established a martyrology to honor the lives of its martyrs and assigns each saint a special day of the year on which to be prayed.
Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that the communion of the saints of the Church Triumphant in heaven with the Church Militant or the Church of the Living, is unbroken. Christians believe in a form of solidarity that transcends place and time, a bond known as the communion of saints, which connects both the living and the dead (Church Penitent). If one subscribes to this doctrine, he or she may address the saints as if they were right by his or her side during All Saints’ Day.
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October 14, 2022
Halloween: Origin, Meaning, and History
The origin of the term “Halloween” has long been a mystery. It’s an abbreviation for “All Hallows’ Eve,” which means All Hallows’ Day (All Saints’ Day). Halloween’s origin dates back more than 2,500 years to when the Pagan people were celebrating a festival that was then called Samhain. Both the new year and the dead were honored during this Celtic and Gallic festivity.
The druids kept the new fire burning, and the celebrations included ritual sacrifices, mead-sharing, and a feast. How was Halloween practiced among the Celts? The American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has its roots in Ireland; therefore, what Irish tale gave rise to these traditions? Discover where and when this autumnal custom of Halloween originated.
The Origin and Meaning of Halloween
Samhain, the ancestor of Halloween.
Samhain, a Celtic celebration with spooky overtones, is where Halloween gets its start. Samhain, which means “end of summer” in contemporary Gaelic, is still the name of the month of November in Irish and other languages today. More than 2,500 years ago on a full moon night in October, when the Celtic year came to a close in Ireland, Great Britain, and northwest Gaul, this ritual festival was organized to celebrate the upcoming new year. This event was already celebrated in several countries during this historical period.
There are two distinct halves to the Celtic calendar year, the dark half starting on Samhain (November 1) and the bright half commencing on Beltane (May 1), and both are as significant. There were also two distinct seasons in Western European countries—winter and summer—because of the region’s moderate and humid environment. The community’s pace of life shifted as summer winded down. Herds were brought inside for the winter, relieving farmers of their duties during this season.
Why Is Halloween Celebrated on October 31st?
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which was based on the sun, the lunar calendar used by the Celts meant that the dates of their most important festivals were not set in stone. Samhain was celebrated precisely on the night of the next full moon. Therefore, that is why October 31 is chosen as the date for Halloween for “convenience.” Samhain was more than just a religious celebration at the beginning of the new year since it symbolized the opening of the bridge between the living and the dead.
The Feast of Samhain, the Ancestor of Halloween
Samhain is a 7-day celebration that begins three days before the full moon and continues for another three days thereafter. It is mandatory for everyone to join, regardless of their social standing, or they will be punished by the gods. There are lots of pork, beer, mead, and wine during the Samhain feast. Pig, a god of destruction and terror, is revered as a holy food that grants eternal life. On the other hand, mead is a honey-water alcoholic beverage.
This festival is intended to create bridges between the two worlds (those of the living and the dead), where everyone is invited to come to the other side. This allows the deceased to lose their gift of invisibility. It is a celebration in the sense that people meet “in the middle” of the actual and abstract worlds.
Celtic languages have a shared etymology for the words “middle” and “drunkenness.” In addition to the usual fare of sacrifices and lighting a new fire, the Samhain celebration also included ritualized games and musical performances. For the druids to reignite a new fire in every home and usher in the new year, the Gauls put out their old fires.
In addition to being a religious holiday, Samhain also served as a political, military, and commercial event when deals were sealed. Although it was mostly a peaceful celebration, the renewal of the king’s authority served as a fitting capstone to the occasion.
The Roman invasion had an impact on Celtic culture since it introduced a harvest festival in honor of an Etruscan goddess named Pomona. Since Christianity condemned the Pagan practice, it was eventually replaced by the All Saints’ Day holiday celebration. Despite the destruction of their ancient temples, Pagan practices continued. The celebration of All Saints’ Day became an official holiday in Europe in 837. Thus, Halloween, or Samhain, was pushed back to be celebrated on October 31st, a day earlier than usual.
From Turnip to Pumpkin: The Celtic Legends Reached America
Following the potato famine (the “Great Famine”) of 1846–48, many Irish emigrated to the United States, bringing with them a wealth of folklore, including their renowned Samhain festival, which over time turned into today’s Halloween.
The Origin of the Pumpkin on Halloween
You’ve certainly heard the story of Jack O’Lantern, the drunkard who was sent out of heaven on October 31 for daring to play jokes on the devil before he was later killed. Jack O’Lantern was condemned to wander in the dark with a lantern for all eternity. The lantern was a turnip he was munching on, and the candle he placed inside to protect it from the wind.
At the end of the 19th century, Halloween was made a national holiday in the United States for the first time. US citizens started to celebrate Halloween with its associated custom of “Trick-or-Treating,” going from door to door in search of sweets. And the pumpkin, since it is much simpler to carve than the turnip, became the primary emblem of Halloween.
As for the kids going door to door asking for candy, that practice has its roots in Irish culture, where it was common for the impoverished to beg for food from the more well-off. The witches and wizards, as well as the concept of threatening the people with a nasty fate if they refuse, are both relatively modern developments.
Movies About Halloween
Friday the 13th, a 1980 horror film directed by John Carpenter, added more suspense to Halloween. This includes the original 1978 Halloween movie from the same director that went on to become the focus of a long-running, critically acclaimed series.
In 2022’s Halloween Ends, the myth is revived once again, cementing the festival’s reputation as a party that is both innocent for children and a source of overflowing and terrifying imagination for the older ones.
Tradition and Commercialism Collide at Halloween
Even today, people in Scotland and Wales continue to gather around bonfires as a symbol of Samhain or Halloween, since it is a custom that originated in the Celtic culture. Halloween games involving fruit, such as jumping into a pool to grab apples or apple bobbing, are a tradition in both the United States and Britain that dates back to the Roman harvest festival.
The tradition of using candlelight to illuminate carved pumpkins, the “Jack-o’-lanterns,” in the form of hideous masks dates back to the same Roman harvest festival.
Particularly in the latter half of the 20th century, Halloween became one of the largest holidays in many European countries, third only to Christmas and Easter. However, as Europeans already have many historical celebrations and Halloween has become too commercial, the holiday has lost its magic in Europe.
The distinction between the Day of the Dead celebration (which originated in Mexico) and Halloween is worth noting. The former is celebrated on November 2nd to remember the deceased, and it does not have a connection with Halloween.
October 14, 2022