All Saint’s Day is a national holiday and is also known as the Feast of all the saints including all the locally venerated saints, Hallowmas, or All Hallows Day. And in Christian church, All saints day commemorates all the known and unknown saints who have attained heaven. All saints day falls and celebrated on November 1, and this feast is usually a holy day of obligation in the Roman catholic church.
The origin of the All saints day cannot be tracked with reliability, and it has also been observed on different days in different places. According to Ephraem Syrus, the feast of all whether martyrs and saints was kept on May 13, the early Christian times, in the eastern orthodox church, which may also have lead and determined Pope Boniface IV’s choice when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome as church in honor of all the holy martyrs and the Blessed Virgin Mary on the same day in 609. The first evidence of the feast and the celebration on November 1 date occurred during Pope Gregory III’s reign and he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Rome on November 1 in honor of all the saints. And in 800, All Saints’ Day was kept by Alcuin on November 1.and in 837, Pope Gregory IV ordered it general commemoration and observance.
While All Souls Day is a day for commemoration for all of the departed faithful. It is observed from the period from October 31 to November 2, and it is a day dedicated to remembrance and prayer. A lot of people visit, light candles, and decorate the graves of their loved ones during the All souls day. The doctrine of the Roman Catholic church believes that the prayers of the faithful on earth will help to cleanse the souls to fit them for the mission of God in heaven.
Continue reading about All Saints Day here.
All Saints and All Souls constitute the two day celebration of the communion of saints – those who are already with God and those who are on their way to heaven. On November 1, the church celebrates the spiritual maturity that achieved by the Christians and it is also a day to hallowed all the holy men and women who’ve been beatified by the church. And a day later, it is a day to commemorate all the faithful departed, and the church prays and remembers for the faithful departed most particularly, the church prays for all the souls in purgatory and the malevolent and restless spirits.
In the Philippines, All Saints Day is also known as “Undas” where it is not only to remember saints but to honor and pay respect to the departed loved ones as well.
Filipinos go to their respected cemeteries weeks before the holiday to clean and beautify the graves, memorial plaque, and surroundings of their dead relatives by repairing and repainting the damages that happened over time. The families also decorate the tombs with flowers, lighting candles, and something that will remind them of their deceased relatives.
During this holiday, the families take advantage to reunite with their friends and relatives while visiting their departed loved ones at the cemeteries. They would also bring something to eat and drink while spending time on catching up and reminiscing the times when their departed ones were still alive. And they do these things for more than two hours or even staying there overnight as they vigil while celebrating the All Saints and All Souls Day.
And during this holiday and present moment, others also take this opportunity to get away from their usual daily lives to relax. They plan a family staycation or a get together of their barkada to relieve them and have a stress free life even for a short period of time. While others just preferred to spend the holiday at the comfort of their homes.
As November 1 is considered is considered as a non-working national holiday, there are a lot of to do list on how to celebrate the feast stress free and safely with your loved ones.
Reading a book or a special scriptural readings is one of the great ways to learn the devout life and sacrifices of the different saints experienced in their lives. You can also honor them by sharing their lessons and stories that you learned from your favorite saints with your family members.
Sunday marks the weekly routine of Christians to go to church to thank God but going to church and attending the mass is not only on normal sunday services. You can either have the option to attend the mass on the local church congregation or parish near you or attend an online mass instead due to the pandemic.
Whichever you find more stress free, comfortable and safer with you is fine as long as long as you receive God’s blessings and to honor the saints.
Another way to honor the saints is by singing famous offertory songs or special hymns as a group for the saints and while playing a piano or guitar at home to keep the celebration more interesting.
After the responsive readings, knowing and learning about the saints and their stories, you can apply what you and your kids learned by making some crafts that can describe your favorite saints.
Here are some saintly crafts and games you’ll love to try with your kids.
First thing first to have a stress free life and to enjoy your trip is to not leave any hints that you will be away. but you can also inform your trusted neighbor of your trip details. Turn some lights on and radio on to lead people on thinking that there are homeowners inside. And avoid posting your whereabouts on social media.
Don’t forget to lock all the doors, windows, and all the possible entry way before leaving the house to avoid burglars from entering. It is also more safe if you install alarms to alert the neighbors just in case of robbery attempts, and you can also ask your trusted neighbors to look after your house while you are away.
Do not give any reason for thieves to target your homes while you are away. And do not leave anything and other valuable items outside the house that may attract the robbers.
Before leaving, unplug all the appliances and devices and double check if you close the stove and gas valve. And never leave a lit candle unattended especially when its under the curtains or near to the flammable materials.
Always make sure to check the weather forecast before leaving. And do not forget to bring umbrella and raincoats just in case you’ll need it and to keep you prepared and safe whether it be for extreme heat or heavy rain.
To avoid car accidents, always look out for untoward accidents. Follow all the traffic rules and speed limits, and always keep distance to other vehicles. And never drive while texting or if you’re drunk.
And additional to be a responsible driver, you should always bring all the necessary driving documents such as your driver’s license, insurance certificate, and the vehicle’s registration. And incase the students and children passengers got lost, they should also keep their ID’s.
Before travelling, always make sure that the vehicle you’ll use is in good condition to avoid any delays, inconvenience, and road accidents.
And you should not also neglect your car locks, failure and malfunction to lock it properly may lead to danger on the passengers, especially to the children on board.
If you’re travelling without a car, expect that the public transportation areas will be crowded during the holiday, and keep in mind to travel early in the day to avoid jam packed vehicles and long lines.
And commuting during the holidays needs you to stay alert all the time, do not wear fancy and expensive items, and just bring the necessary items that you’ll need. keep an eye for pickpockets and report immediately to the authorities if you find something or someone suspicious.
Whether you’re one who joins the flocking people in the cemeteries and churches, on an out-of-town getaway with your family member and friends, or you just stay at home during this holiday, do not let the stress ruin this event and celebrate it stress free.
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