All Saints' Day and Halloween in 2021 will be celebrated midweek on the night of October 31 to November 1

In Catholicism the code

All saints. Fra Beato Angelico

In the Catholic and some Lutheran churches, All Saints' Day is a fixed holiday and is celebrated on November 1

. The next day, November 2, is All Souls' Day.

All Saints' Day has the highest rank in the Latin calendar - solemnities, the highest level in the hierarchy of Catholic holidays. It is also one of the so-called “obligatory days” when attendance at Mass is mandatory for the faithful. The robes of the clergy are white.

Illustration for “De Civitate Dei” by Augustine, 15th century

All Saints' Feast Collection:

All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints' Day, is traditionally the day of remembrance in Catholicism. On this day, Catholics around the world remember deceased family members and relatives and visit their graves in cemeteries. Liturgical texts on November 2 are dedicated to prayers for the dead and express faith in the coming resurrection of the dead.

History | code

In 609 or 610, on May 13, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the former pagan temple of the Pantheon in honor of the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. May 13 began to be celebrated as the feast of all saints.

In the mid-8th century, Pope Gregory III consecrated one of the chapels of St. Peter's Basilica in honor of All Saints on November 1 and, in honor of this event, moved the date of the celebration of All Saints' Day to November 1. A century later, Pope Gregory IV made November 1 a common holiday for the entire Catholic Church in honor of All Saints, and Charlemagne ordered this holiday to be celebrated throughout the Frankish Empire.

Later, this holiday was “inherited” by many Protestant denominations. In the 15th century, Pope Sixtus IV added an octave (an eight-day post-celebration) to the holiday; it was abolished in the mid-20th century.

In Great Britain and Ireland, All Saints' Day overlapped with the Celtic agrarian festival of Samhain, marking the dangerous transition time between autumn and winter. On the eve of All Hallows' Day in Anglo-Saxon countries, Halloween is celebrated (from the English All Hallows' Eve, "All Hallows' Eve"), however, the traditions associated with it are secular in nature and are condemned by many Christians, including Catholics.

Historical basis of the celebration

Researchers on this day are looking at deep pagan roots. The first legend says that the Celtic tribes had the celebration of Samhain in their calendar - the day when autumn turned into winter. It was a Celtic start to the year. In parallel with it, at the end of October, the evening of all saints was celebrated - All Hallows Eve, which in modern times has become known as Halloween. This time was filled with magic and mysticism. They believed that on this day the line between the two worlds became thin and shaky. Ancestors, relatives and loved ones could return. But evil spirits could also slip through with them. Therefore, they had to be appeased and appeased in order to avoid troubles and sorrows.

Important: The essence of another version of the holiday is that the spirits of returning relatives must be honored with sacrificial food

Time to repent

The Romans also commemorated their ancestors at the beginning of November; this was called Feralia.

Pagan traditions also passed into Christianity, only they appeared in a different sound and interpretation. All Saints were originally venerated on May 13, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the ancient Pantheon in honor of the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. Later in the 11th century, the date was set to November 1 to commemorate saints who did not have their own day in the church calendar. Saints were those people who were the first to accept the Christian faith, received new life in baptism and died in the name of their God. It is not known exactly how many saints there are in Christianity. We know the apostles and their disciples, but the names of many preachers and holy fools have sunk into oblivion. It is impossible to count their names. And although the church wanted to capture the names of all its figures in its history, many martyrs remained unknown.

Not only spiritual persons and martyrs can be considered glorified, but also those who lived a righteous life and became famous for their deeds and exploits. So, in the rank of saints are:

• Alexander Nevskiy;
• Seraphim of Sarov;
• Nicholas the Wonderworker.

History shows contradictory paradoxes of holiness. People who were considered completely lost to society became saints. So, the first saint to enter heaven was a thief who was crucified along with Jesus. He admitted that he was paying for his actions. But sincere repentance at the last moment of his life was enough for the gates of heaven to open before him. From an early age, Mary of Egypt was captivated by debauchery and carnal sin. She has been seducing men since her youth. But one day, when she wanted to go to church, God's great power did not allow her to go there. Mary understood her unforgiven sin and spent the rest of her life in sincere repentance and prayers, repenting of the sins she had committed.

The list of saints stretches to the present day, ending with the names of those who did not succumb to the totalitarian regime of Soviet power. According to long-standing traditions, there is a custom to preserve the relics of martyrs like a religious relic. Everywhere, it was customary to hold memorial prayers at the graves of martyrs.

The Orthodox Church is open to everyone

Also, don’t forget that Black Friday is coming soon, and it’s time to prepare for sales.

In fine arts the code

Main article: All Saints (picture)

The plot crystallized from the scene of the Last Judgment and represents the triumph of all the righteous in Paradise. A painting based on the plot of “All Saints” is one of the ways to depict Heaven. The earliest extant example of this depiction is the 10th-century sacramentary (Göttingen University Library), which depicts rows of saints and angels worshiping the Lamb (located in the center). The saints are depicted kneeling around, often holding out their crowns towards the Lamb.

"The Council of All Saints", Greece, ca. 1700. Pantokrator Monastery on Mount Athos

“Cathedral of All Saints” - option with arched openings. Russian icon of the 16th century. Rostov Museum-Reserve

In the West, by the 14th century, this interpretation of the plot was supplanted by another iconographic type: the place of the Lamb was taken by the Trinity or God the Father. Around are angels playing music and the Mother of God (on the throne next to God). This story had the “Golden Legend” as its program. These are the illustrations for Augustine’s “City of God” and other book illustrations.

In icon painting, the most common version of iconography is this: most of the icon is a double sphere, in the center of which is Jesus Christ. On its sides are Mary and John the Baptist (cf. Deisis). In the second, outer sphere there is a choir of saints, represented by the faces of holiness. A rarer option is the one with the image of saints in arched openings, placed in several rows at the bottom of the composition. “Angels, evangelists or symbols of evangelists are usually depicted around the spheres. The figures of the prophets Solomon and Daniel or Isaiah and Ezekiel are often found in the background outside the spheres. (...) The image of Paradise in the lower part of the icon is traditional - against the backdrop of green tabernacles, three forefathers are represented - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Abraham's Bosom) and the prudent thief. The iconography of the “Cathedral of All Saints” has become especially widespread on Mount Athos.”

The “Six Days” icon, which includes seven festive scenes, is close to this plot, in accordance with the traditional liturgical dedication of the seven days of the week. The last, seventh day was a day of rest, a day when God “rested... from all his work” (Genesis II, 2). “He was understood as a prototype of peace, blissful rest, the reunification of the righteous with God, which was to come after the expiration of historical time. In accordance with similar interpretations, the last composition of “Week” - “Saturday of All Saints” in icons XVI-XVII represented an image of the blissful peace of the righteous awaiting the second coming.”

Saint Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for every day of the year

(Heb. 11, 33-12, 2; Matt. 10, 32-33, 37-38; 19, 27-30). The Holy Church commemorates the saints every day. But since there were saints of God who labored unknownly and were not revealed to the Church, so as not to leave them without honor, St. The Church has established a day on which it glorifies everyone who has pleased God since the ages, so that there will be no one left who is not glorified by it. She legitimized to do this immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit because all saints were made and are being made holy by the grace of the Holy Spirit: the grace of the Holy Spirit brings repentance and forgiveness of sins, it also introduces one into the struggle against passions and lusts and crowns this feat with purity and dispassion. And thus a new creation appears, fit for the new heaven and the new earth. Let us also be zealous to follow the saints of God. The current Gospel teaches how to do this: it requires a fearless confession of faith in the Lord, primary love for Him, lifting the cross of self-sacrifice and heartfelt renunciation of all things. Let us begin according to this instruction.

Fortune telling by wish

In the old days, fortune telling with seeds was of great importance. Often girls used pumpkin seeds to tell their wishes. A roasted seed was held in the left hand, and a raw one in the right. We made a wish and asked a friend to guess which hand held the fried seed. If she guessed right, the wish was destined to come true.

You can also tell your wish when cutting a pumpkin. To do this, divide it into two equal parts, think of a wish and count the seeds. If there are more of them in the right half, this means that your wish will come true.

Another way: mix roasted and raw seeds in a cup, cover it with your hand and, making a wish, take a handful and count the seeds. If there are more fried ones, it means that the wish will not come true, but if there are more raw ones, it will come true.

And the last fortune telling: mix a handful of roasted and raw seeds. Now pour them out onto the table and count them. An even number of fried ones means that enemies are preventing the execution. An odd number of roasted seeds warns of dire consequences. If there is an odd number of raw seeds, it means that the fulfillment of your desire will bring you unexpected profit. An even number of raw seeds indicates that the wish will come true, but will not bring the expected joy.

The history of the holiday

The roots of this holiday can be traced back to the beginning of the 7th century AD, when in 609 Pope Boniface consecrated the Roman pantheon in honor of the Virgin Mary and all Christian martyrs.

Many people are interested in whether there is an All Saints Day in Orthodoxy. After the division of the churches into Western and Eastern in the 11th century, in Orthodoxy it became customary to celebrate this day immediately after Trinity, which carries a deep historical meaning. On Trinity (or Pentecost) the first Christian community was formed. The germ of the first church was planted in the ground. And the cloud of numerous martyrs that followed, who were ready to suffer for their faith, are already the bright flowers of this sprout.

The Church was created by God's Spirit, and every saint was filled with the same spirit. Moreover, it is worth remembering that he was not an alien or a mythical demigod, he was the same person as you and me, and lived in reality.

In the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, this holiday is called the Council of All Saints who have shone in the Russian land.

You should know when is All Saints Day in Russia. The church first introduced this celebration in the 50s of the 16th century. With the accession of Peter the Great and the beginning of the synodal era in the administration of the church, it fell into oblivion, but was restored for a short time in 1918. Since 1946, the holiday in the Russian Orthodox Church began to be celebrated in the second week after Pentecost. All Saints Day in Orthodoxy 2021 will be celebrated at the same time.

From early Christianity to modern times

First, the apostles were venerated as martyrs in the early church, then their disciples and other Christians who died at the hands of the administrative power of the Roman emperors in the circus arenas.

Not only martyrs are considered glorified, but also people of righteous life, filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and glorified by their spiritual or military exploits. For example:

• Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• Alexander Nevskiy;
• Seraphim of Sarov;
• John of Kronstadt and many others.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qqLtCGGtBiM

The series of especially revered saints stretches right up to the present day and ends with the names of martyrs who were shot during the years of Soviet power - practically our contemporaries.

Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been an innumerable number of people who were ready to bring its light to the world and willingly give their lives for it. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately count all the saints. The Church has never set itself such a task, but has always strived to capture the names of its ascetics for church history. However, many martyrs remained unknown.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CLKy_M-hU1k

Church canonization

Canonization in the Church (that is, the official granting of this status to a saint) is not at all the reason why this Christian is glorified in a special way by God. In heaven, for a person, the fact of earthly canonization is absolutely not important and does not in any way affect his posthumous fate. Canonization is the usual recognition of the fact that one or another believer is approved by the mother church as a Christian saint, a person of pious life, famous for his exploits or miracles, or who gave his life for Christ.

For the rite of canonization there are mandatory conditions:

• Righteous life and death.
• Strict adherence to the Orthodox faith.
• Widely respected by the people.
• Miracles performed through prayers to a saint (saint).
• At least fifty years have passed since the death of a person.

The last point is explained by the fact that, after a short time (20-30 years), you can succumb to temptation and see holiness where there was none. Sometimes people try to see holiness in this or that person unworthy of this title even centuries later. For example, today this is happening with Ivan the Terrible. Despite repeated statements by the church that this person cannot be canonized, many of our compatriots think otherwise.

READ ALSO: Holidays today November 2, 2021 Holidays today Holiday calendar for 2021

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2dZ0OByZbhs

New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia

Finding the relics of the Holy Martyr Vladimir (Epiphany) (1992)

It was no coincidence that Kiev Metropolitan Vladimir (1848 - 1918) became the first clergyman killed by revolutionaries. Read the story about one of the most revered hierarchs of the early twentieth century in our material.

Hieromartyr Alexander Parusnikov (October 13, 1879 - June 27, 1938)

From prison, Archpriest Alexander handed over several notes written on tissue paper, which the freed prisoner carried in the heel of his boot:

“Dear Sasha, thank you for the happiness you gave me. Don’t cry for me, this is God’s will.”

“My dear Seryozha, goodbye. “You are now taking my place,” the priest wrote to the eldest of 10 children. “I ask you not to leave your mother and brothers and sisters, and God will bless you with success in all your affairs.” I miss you to death, goodbye again.”

“My children, I kiss you all and hold you tightly to my heart. Love each other. Read your elders and take care of your younger ones. Protect your mother with all your might. God bless you."

More details

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Father Alexander was the 12th child in the family of priest Sergius, but after graduating from the seminary he did not intend to become a priest - he entered the Imperial Technical School. However, having received a letter from his father in 1908, who called him to his place, he arrived with his wife Alexandra Ivanovna. He was ordained by the future martyr Vladimir of Epiphany (whose memory is also celebrated today).

With the beginning of persecution from the Soviet regime, all members of the priest’s family became deprived, they were not entitled to food cards, which means that all state stores were closed to them, and the few private ones were expensive.

One of the episodes from those years. It’s Christmas Eve before the Nativity of Christ, tomorrow is a great holiday, and they have nothing in the house, not even bread. Alexandra Ivanovna sits at an empty table, sad. Father Alexander is getting ready to go to the church for the all-night vigil, opens the door to the porch and shouts: “Mother, come here!” Alexandra Ivanovna came out and saw two bags standing on the porch, containing bread, cereals and potatoes.

At the end of the twenties, half of the house was taken away from Alexander’s father, and the head of the local police, whose son worked in the Moscow OGPU, was placed there. He himself suffered from open tuberculosis. His usual occupation was to walk around the house, especially in the half where the priest’s family lived, and spit. Alexandra Ivanovna more than once knelt before him and, begging him not to do this, said:

“We are to blame, but spare the children.”

“Popov’s bastard must die,” he said in response.

Soon, in the priest’s family, a son fell ill with tuberculosis, then another, then a daughter fell ill, then another daughter. Not a year passed before Alexandra Ivanovna accompanied one of the children to the cemetery.

At school, Father Alexander's children were persecuted as the children of a priest, showing them in every detail that they were unequal to others. Even if they eat something at home, they sit hungry all day at school. The school administration ordered that the other children be fed: they were given breakfast, and the priest’s children were placed on a separate bench at this time.

With younger children

The priest’s family kept a cow until the last possible opportunity, which, as in many families then, became the only breadwinner, but she, too, was taken away by the authorities. Father Alexander was in the church at that time. Returning home, he saw his family in disarray and asked what had happened.

Alexandra Ivanovna said:

— The cow was taken from our yard.

- Did they take the cow? Let's all go quickly; kids, get on your knees. Let's serve a thanksgiving prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Alexandra Ivanovna looked at him in bewilderment and exclaimed:

- Father?!

- Sasha, God gave, God took. “Let’s serve a prayer of thanks,” said Father Alexander, thereby showing how one must respond to anger with kindness and thank the Lord not only for the sweet, but also for the bitter, so that by gratefully accepting the bitter, the soul can taste the fruits of heaven.

Since they lost the cow, every day a basket with a bottle of milk and two loaves of bread appeared on the porch. The older children watched for a long time at the window overlooking the porch to find out who brought them bread and milk. Sometimes they looked out until late at night, but they never managed to see the benefactor.

At night, Father Alexander was often summoned to the NKVD and one day they said:

- Leave the church, because you have so many children, and you don’t feel sorry for them.

“I feel sorry for everyone, but I serve God and will remain in the temple for the rest of my life,” answered the priest.

On June 2, 1938, the NKVD troika sentenced Alexander's father to death. At this time he was in Taganskaya prison in Moscow.

Archpriest Alexander Parusnikov was shot on June 27, 1938 and buried in an unknown mass grave at the Butovo training ground near Moscow.

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Hieromartyr Pavel Ivanov (1875 - June 27, 1938)

In March 1938, Priest Pavel was arrested based on interrogations of regular witnesses. He rejected accusations of counter-revolutionary activities. The investigators themselves were soon arrested.

Read the life

In 1901, after the death of his father-priest, Pavel was ordained in his place at the Assumption Church in his native village of Tsurikovo (Smolensk region). Since 1910 - regimental priest of the 7th Turkestan Rifle Regiment. From 1919 to 1926, Father Pavel served in the Church of the Intercession in the village of Tupichevo, Gorodnyansky district, Chernigov province. In 1926, the priest moved to Moscow, where his mother lived at that time, and was assigned to serve at the Assumption Church in the village of Obukhovo, Solnechnogorsk district, Moscow region.

“I do not recognize myself as guilty of the counter-revolutionary activities charged against me and I deny them; such statements have never been made,” Father Pavel testified during interrogation in March 1938.

After some time, others took the place of the arrested investigators, but this did not in the least affect the fate of the priest. On June 2, 1938, the NKVD troika, based on the same testimony of false witnesses, sentenced Father Pavel to death. Priest Pavel Ivanov was shot on June 27, 1938 and buried in an unknown mass grave at the Butovo training ground near Moscow.

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Hieromartyr Nikolai Zapolsky (1889 - June 27, 1938)

Father Nikolai served as a deacon since 1920, and since 1925 in the village of Bolshiye Vyazemy, Zvenigorod district. His family had 6 children. In March 1938 he was arrested.

More details

Father Nikolai was accused of slandering the Soviet government and making counter-revolutionary statements. During the investigation, even confrontations were held. The false witness Panova testified in a confrontation that she was in church in February 1938 and asked the deacon for permission to take ash for fertilizer for the collective farm, to which he replied to her: “Why are you helping the authorities? Do you want to produce eight billion poods of bread? In 1938 you will not succeed, soon there will be no Soviet power, soon the Pope will come, he will show how to torture the peasants. Although you took the priests, soon there will be a tsar, and we will soon hang communists for these priests.”

Deacon Nicholas denied these accusations:

— In February 1938, I did not meet Panova in church and did not say anything to her. And Panova has never been to church.

On June 2, the NKVD troika sentenced the deacon to death. Deacon Nikolai Zapolsky was shot on June 27, 1938 and buried in an unknown mass grave at the Butovo training ground near Moscow.

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Hieromartyr Joseph Sikov (1873 - June 27, 1918)

For 4 years after his ordination to the priesthood, Father Joseph served in the Znamenskaya Church of the Verkhnetagil plant. The father of 8 children was shot by the Bolsheviks on June 14 (27), 1918.

Term and concept code

Miniature from "Apocalypse", Beatus Facundus, 1047

The term “All Saints” is close to the term “Church Triumphant” and covers both canonized saints and those who remained unknown during their lifetime and therefore not venerated.

The New Testament source of the image is the “Revelation of John the Theologian”:

In Orthodoxy the code

In Orthodox churches, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday (hence the name "All Saints' Week") after the Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost), that is, on the 8th Sunday after Easter.

History of the celebration | code

The late “Icon of All Saints” (18th century) with iconography complicated under the influence of Catholicism: the “Coronation of the Mother of God” was added along the central axis, as well as the “Crucifixion”, “Sophia” and “Abraham’s Bosom”

The holiday has been known since the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th centuries. There is a sermon by John Chrysostom in memory of “ all the saints who suffered throughout the world”

”, which already indicates a day of celebration similar to the currently existing one. Among the hymns of Ephraim the Syrian there is a mention of the celebration in honor of all saints on May 13.

The Syriac Lectionary specifies the Friday after Easter as the day of the feast of all saints. Jerusalem conciliar practice of the 5th-7th centuries, reconstructed from the Georgian translation of the Lectionary, contained holidays in honor of all martyrs (January 22) and in honor of “all the apostles and all the saints who accepted their teaching” (April 16).

The Studite, and then the Jerusalem Typicon finally placed the holiday in honor of all saints on the first week (Sunday) after Pentecost. This sequence of holidays reveals their logical connection: the saints shone forth, although at different times and with different deeds, but by the grace of the one Holy Spirit, poured out on the Church on the day of Pentecost.

Rite and hymnography | code

In the annual liturgical circle of the Orthodox Church, All Saints Day is a borderline:

• The period of using the chants of the Colored Triodion during worship ends and the period of singing the Octoechos begins
• At Matins of All Saints' Day, the reading of the “pillar” begins - the sequence of 11 Sunday Gospels telling about the Resurrection of Christ.
• On the Monday after the Feast of All Saints, the reading of the Epistle to the Romans and the Gospel of Matthew begins during the liturgy (during the Easter period, the Acts of the Holy Apostles and the Gospel of John were read)
• On the same Monday, Peter's Fast begins, replacing the continuous (that is, without fasting Wednesdays and Fridays) week after Pentecost.

At Vespers of the feast, three proverbs are read, containing Old Testament references to the glory of the saints:

• Is. - the saints are called witnesses and evangelists of Divine salvation (“ You and My servant whom I have chosen are My witnesses,” says the Lord
  ”)
• Prem. - the saints, although humiliated on earth, are glorified by God (“ But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and torment will not touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed dead, and their outcome was considered destruction, and their departure from us was destruction; but they remain in world
  ")
• Prem. - the saints will triumph on the day of the coming of the Lord (“ The righteous live forever; their reward is in the Lord, and their care is with the Most High. Therefore they will receive the kingdom of glory and the crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord, for He will cover them with His right hand and protect them with His arm.
  ” )

The passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb.) read at the liturgy glorifies the Old Testament righteous and calls them a “cloud of witnesses,” and the composite Gospel reading (Matt., Matt., Matt.) points to the necessary signs of holiness (“ Whoever confesses Me before men, this I also confess before My Father in Heaven...Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me...Whoever leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My name's sake he will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life

»).

The hymnography of the holiday is replete with poetic expressions: the saints are called “ unpleasant luminaries”

"(canon of Matins, canto 3), "
divine cloud
" (ibid., canto 6), "
firstfruits of nature
" (kontakion), "
patient-hearted
" (stichera on litia);
with their blood the Church is decorated with “ purple and visor
” (troparion);
they “ clarify the church heaven
” (canon of Matins, canticle 8), “
the virtues of grace
” make the earth heaven (stichera on praise).

Icon and traditions of celebration

The icon dedicated to the holiday was painted in the 10th century. The ancient sacramentary is kept in the Göttingen University Library. The icon depicts the apostles and saints kneeling and bowing to Jesus Christ. He himself is depicted in the center as a lamb. Later the lamb was replaced by God the Father or the Holy Trinity.

The Eastern Church commemorates the saints on the seventh day after Trinity. On the day of Pentecost, the Christian Church arose from God the Spirit. And the saints who carried the name of God to the masses became the fruit of the church and the Spirit. The holiday emphasizes that no one was born a saint; ordinary people become saints. And it is not their sinlessness that is revered, not the miracles predicted by them, not their ascetic deeds, but the grace of God that sprouted in their souls, thereby covering all their sins. And the special attitude of the church towards them is explained by admiration for their willingness to lay down their lives for faith and God.

Important: Priests in Orthodox churches conduct a festive liturgy. Canons of praise and prayer are read in the name of the followers of the Lord God

A Christian believer must attend a church service and pray either to his saint or to all the saints together.

The holiday is celebrated by Orthodox Christians of all countries. In some countries, for example Croatia, this is a day off. Orthodox order obliges us to visit the graves of relatives and put them in order. Also, Kindness Day will be held soon.

Orthodox Christians do not wear monster masks

Icons of the Mother of God:

"The Unbreakable Wall"

The icon made using mosaic technique is located on the wall above the high place of the main altar of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. It was called the “Unbreakable Wall” because it remained intact for 9 centuries, despite the fact that both the cathedral and the city were repeatedly destroyed.

The Mother of God with raised hands stands at full height on a quadrangular golden stone.

According to local legend, Kyiv will not perish as long as the Mother of God “The Unbreakable Wall” stretches out her hands over it.

“Softening Evil Hearts” (Semistrelnaya)

For a long time, the image turned face down was mistaken for a board on the stairs of the bell tower, until the paralytic had a vision that he would receive healing after praying before this icon. After the prayer service the patient was healed. The icon is at least 600 years old; it became especially famous in 1830 during the cholera outbreak in Vologda.

The Most Holy Theotokos is depicted without the Infant God, bowing Her head to her right shoulder and pierced in the chest with seven arrows or swords.

The myrrh-streaming icon “Softening Evil Hearts” from the village of Bachurino near Moscow is famous.

When is All Saints' Day celebrated?

All Saints' Day is a very popular holiday in the Western world: in the USA, Europe and Canada. Its history goes back to antiquity, and its popularity is only growing, because it has already reached Russia.

All Saints' Day is not only a time of joy and fun. Previously, on this day, or rather, on the eve of All Saints' Day, people waited for the coming of ghosts. It was a day of fear and horror, so everyone stayed at home and tried under no circumstances to go out into the yard.

History of All Saints' Day

The roots of this autumn holiday go back to the times of the ancient Celts, who lived throughout almost all of Europe even before the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday was called Samhain and was completely devoid of negative energy, since it was dedicated to the harvest. Then, after the advent of Christianity, its essence was distorted. The priests told people that on the night from October 31 to November 1, in addition to deceased loved ones, lost souls burst into our world, who for some reason did not go to heaven or hell. This night was called Halloween - the rampant of evil spirits.

Now the holiday is very popular, although in fact it is just an excuse to take a walk and have fun. However, the next day is very important for believers, since it is All Saints' Day. This is a Catholic holiday honoring all dead people. November 1 is the date of celebration of this day, and commemoration continues until November 2.

The ritual of dressing up as ghosts and witches appeared due to the fact that people firmly believed that evil spirits could take children with them. Dressing up and burning effigy scared away ghosts and evil spirits, protecting at night those who performed the ritual on the eve of the holiday. Modern traditions of holding parties and collecting sweets grew precisely on this basis.

Traditions of All Saints' Day

On the eve of the holiday, before November 1 and during it, many rituals are performed. Some of them are almost a thousand years old.

• To begin with, people are preparing for the holiday. On October 31st, on Halloween you can tell fortunes for luck, wealth, love and happiness. These fortune tellings are somewhat reminiscent of Russian Christmastides.
• On November 1, people attend church to listen to a sermon and pray for the dead. This applies only to the Catholic denomination, which is also common in Russia.
• They commemorate the deceased on the night of November 1 and leave them some food on the table before going to bed. They read special Catholic prayers for the memory of the dead.
• Believers visit cemeteries where their parents and grandparents are buried. They are putting the grave site in order.
• On November 1, the ancient Celts finished harvesting and preparing for storage. In Europe, the season ends at this time, so this tradition has been preserved in some places.
• On All Saints' Day on November 1, people share supplies with the poor and disadvantaged, and also help loved ones so that the dead see their kindness and keep the peace of their souls.

In short, November 1 cannot be called just the day after Halloween, because everything is exactly the opposite

Halloween is just a prelude to an important Catholic holiday that has great significance. Some even say that modern fashion and immorality have turned the holiday into a masquerade without a spiritual purpose

This is direct evidence that people respect history less and less and care less about preserving traditions.

All Saints Day is also celebrated in Russia. But in the Orthodox church calendar this holiday falls on the first Sunday after Trinity.

We wish you good luck on All Saints' Day. Reliable amulets for the home will help protect your home from evil spirits. Use them as protection all year round, then your home will become an impregnable fortress for all evil and all kinds of problems. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

Canonization of saints by the church

The fact of canonization of saints does not affect the afterlife and fate of a person’s soul. Earthly canonization is a confirmation that the believer is defined by the church as a person who became famous for his exploits, modest and pious life, or even gave his life for the Lord God. Canonization provides for the following mandatory conditions:

• living in a righteous way;
• sincere faith in God and Orthodoxy;
• reverence among the common people;
• miracles that were performed as a result of prayers to saints;
• at least 50 years have passed since the day of death.

The last point is especially mandatory. A long period of time makes it possible to objectively evaluate a person’s merits to the church. Time allows us to resist the temptation to see holiness in facts that do not speak of holiness. An example would be the story of Ivan the Terrible or Rasputin. Although the church declares the impossibility of their canonization due to their lifetime activities, some fans are trying to confirm the opposite.

Temple service will impress everyone

To venerate venerable monks, martyrs and pious Christians, there is All Saints Day in Orthodoxy; to know what date it falls in 2021, you can use the church calendar. In both Orthodoxy and Catholicism, this is an important holiday of honoring the dead. But for all the people, it is worth remembering that World Shopping Day is coming soon, so collect money for shopping

The appearance of the holiday

The emergence of a common church memory of all martyrs, or all saints, occurred in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire no later than the end of the 4th and beginning of the 5th century. In the sermon of St. John Chrysostom in memory of “all the saints who suffered throughout the world,” it is reported that this holiday is celebrated a week after the Feast of Pentecost. It was this custom that eventually spread throughout the Orthodox Church.

In Syria of the same era, this holiday also existed, but was celebrated at a different time. Thus, among the hymns of St. Ephraim the Syrian there are indications of the celebration of the memory of all saints on May 13, and the Syriac Lectionary of 411 indicates this memory on the Friday after Easter.

In the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary, reflecting the practice of the V-VII centuries, the memory of all martyrs is indicated on January 22, followed at the liturgy: troparion of the 4th tone “Rejoice, martyrs of the Lord,” reading (prokeimenon from Ps 115, Proverbs 29, 2- 6, Isaiah 65, 13-18, Hebrews 12, 1-11, alleluia with a verse from Psalm 88, John 15, 20-16.5a), troparion of the 2nd tone for the washing of hands “The original institutions,” troparion 4th Tone for the Transfer of Gifts “Sacrifice for you.” In addition, April 16 in this monument is about without specifying the sequence.

In the Western lands of the Roman Empire, the celebration of May 13, mentioned by St. Ephraim the Syrian, was also known. It was on May 13, 609 or 610 that Pope Boniface IV consecrated the former Pantheon in Rome as a temple in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs, after which this event was celebrated in the Western Church. In the first half of the 8th century, Pope Gregory III consecrated one of the chapels of St. Peter's Basilica in the name of All Saints and established an annual commemoration of this event on November 1, and a century later, Pope Gregory IV officially approved the feast of All Saints in the Western Church on this day. On October 31, on the eve of the holiday, fasting was supposed.

Traditions of other countries

Belgium has similar traditions. On this day, it is customary to remember the deceased, to visit their graves with flowers and candles. For the Germans, November 1 is a non-working day; people also visit graves, restore order there, and remember the departed.

In Spain, different regions have their own traditions. For example, in Galicia and Catalonia, residents roast chestnuts, and in Alicante they hold a traditional All Saints Fair.