What is All Saints' Day?

On November 1, the Church celebrates All Saints' Day, a mandatory precept feast in memory of the heavenly saints, both those officially recognized by the Church and those unknown. As mentioned in one of our previous articles (All Saints' Day and the Feast of the Commemoration of the Dead), this is an event with historical roots:

• It began

back in 609 AD 

with

Pope Boniface IV

, who consecrated the

Pantheon 

to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs.

•

Pope Gregory IV extended its date 

to the entire Church 

in 835

.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALL SAINTS' DAY AND ALL SOULS' DAY?

One of the most common questions concerns the distinction between All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, and All Souls' Day.
In short:

•

All Saints' Day (November 1): 

celebrates the saints in heaven, both known and unknown.

•

All Souls' day (November 2): 

is the day dedicated to prayer and remembrance of all the faithful departed.

Regarding this last matter, in some countries such as Mexico, the two events converge in the celebration of Día de los Muertos, a moment that certainly brings together Catholic faith and popular traditions.

WHAT IS THE LITURGICAL COLOR OF ALL SAINTS' DAY?

For the All-Saints’ Day liturgy, the Church chooses white as the official color. White is generally used for solemn celebrations and symbolizes both purity and holiness.

NOVEMBER 1: APPOINTMENT WITH THE FEAST OF PRECEPT

Thanks to Pope Gregory IV, November 1st became a regular event in the catholic calendar. As mentioned above, it is a day dedicated to known and unknown saints who lived in faith. Distinct from All Souls' Day, All Saints' Day is a reminder of the hope of eternal life and communion with the Church. (O que você precisa saber sobre o Dia de Todos os Santos)