November 1: All Saints’ Day (Hallowmas)

Engraving, the Holy Trinity with Saints. Artist unknown.

All Saints’ Day, the Solemnity of All Saints, remembers the known and unknown saints of the Church: the Church Triumphant, the departed who have reached spiritual fulfillment & maturity. It stems from the commemoration of All Martyrs, which was celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost at least by the 7th century. In 609, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon as the Church of Sancta Maria ad Martyres on May 13, and the feast was moved to that date; in the 8th century, Pope Gregory III dedicated the oratory in St. Peter’s Basilica to “All Saints” on November 1, and the martyr commemoration was accordingly moved to that date; a century later, Pope Gregory IV made the date universal.

Tradition & plantlore highlights:

• Candlelit celebrations
• Table of the Dead
• Tindles
• Pan co’ Santi (“All Saints’ Bread”)
• Castagnaccio
• Agaric mushrooms last seen
• Apple bobbing
• Nutcracking

If you’d like to learn more about the history, agrarian traditions, folklore, & plantlore of Allhallowtide, enjoy these free info sheets designed to help you build your Liturgical Year Binder: