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Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of all saints. This means all those who have found their way to heaven, irrespective of their beliefs, nationality, colour, or language, whether known or unknown, are celebrated today.
The origin of All Saints’ Day in the Church cannot be traced with certainty. The feast has been observed in various places on different dates.
However, the November 1 date came into play when Pope Gregory III (731–741) dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Rome on this date in honour of all saints. Pope Gregory IV ordered its general observance in 837.
In mediaeval England, the festival was known as All Hallows. “Hallow” comes from Middle English “halwen,” which means “to sanctify or to make holy.” The word is traceable to the Old English “hālgian,” which means also “to sanctify or make holy.”. The eve of All Hallows, as it was known in mediaeval England, was known as “Halloween.”
Halloween is still observed today in many parts of the world. The children on the Halloween march even visited me yesterday night.
As we celebrate the dead, let us remember to celebrate the living. As long as we do not help in building a society where the living can enjoy a good life, any celebration or offering we are making to the dead is fa faa faaa foul.
Happy All Saints Day and a new month of November!
