All Saints' Day
Have you ever thought that Halloween and All Saints Day have something in
common or something to do with each other? Well they do in ancient times All
Hallows eve was celebrated to honor the dead. All Saints day is the following
morning. Both days are meant to celebrate great people who have died, both
religious and personal friends.
Both the Roman Catholic and also the Anglican Church's have observed All Saints
Day since 837. Pope Gregory was credited with first suggesting and confirming
the holy holiday as a way to honor the martyrs who had died for Christianity.
All Saints Day was first created to honor and show respect for the martyrs
who died in the pursuit of Christianity. This tradition was then extended to
include known martyrs and unknown martyrs this was a symbolic gesture to state
that millions of Christians around the world were on a vigil to help promote
an insure the future of Christianity.
As the decades and then centuries past the Protestant church and the Roman
Catholic Church and Anglican church's all broadened again the meaning and symbolic
nature of All Saints Day. It was during this Reformation that these churches's
decided to include honoring the Saints along with martyrs on All Saints Day.
The end goal of this decision was to bring all members of all the various types
of Christian religion closer together. All Saints Day is now celebrated to
strengthen the bonds among Christians and also to recognize and celebrate the
people in the past who have paid the ultimate price to promote Christianity.
Whatever your religion is next all saints day take a moment or two and reflect
on the people in your past and throughout history that made it possible for
you to be where you are today.
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