Many of you will get a day off work this Friday, or maybe your partner will, and perhaps it’s another of those mysterious public holidays beginning with A that you’re not really sure what it’s all about.
Well, yes, there’s Halloween the night before for our American readers and anyone else who’s claimed that tradition as their own. But what of All Saints’ Day itself?
All Saints’ Day is a Christian day of remembrance for those who have died. In the Catholic Church, the Saints are remembered on this day, and on the following day, All Souls Day, all the dead are remembered. In Protestant tradition, where the “sainthood” is understood to mean all believers, All Saints’ Day is the day to remember all those who have died. Often names are read in church of those who have died in the past year.
This Friday, in many countries including Luxembourg, you’ll find people visiting the graves of their dead relatives and friends, to tidy and lay flowers and remember their lives.
And perhaps this is the most important part of this sacred day – the chance to remember…
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I’m guest posting over at CLEW today with ideas of practices to mark All Saints’ Day. Will you join me over there?
