1st November

All Saints' Day

In the early Church, Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ (known as the saint's "birth day") by serving an All-Night Vigil, and then celebrating the Eucharist over their tomb or place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to transfer relics, and to celebrate the feast days of specific martyrs in common. Frequently, a number of Christians would suffer martyrdom on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all.

A commemoration of "All Martyrs" began to be celebrated as early as the year 270, although no specific month or date are mentioned in existing records. The first trace of a general celebration on a specific day is attested in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. There is mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and the custom is also referred to in the 74th Homily of St. John Chrysostom (†407), who speaks of a "feast of martyrs of the whole world." As early as 411, there is found among the Chaldean Christians a general commemoration of all Confessors (Commemoratio Confessorum), celebrated on the Friday after Easter.

A.Mickiewicz 'Upiór'
Serce ustało, pierś już lodowata,
Ścięły się usta i oczy zawarły;
Na świecie jeszcze, lecz już nie dla świata!
Cóż to za człowiek? - Umarły.

Patrz, duch nadziei życie mu nadaje,
Gwiazda pamięci promyków użycza,
Umarły wraca na młodości kraje
Szukać lubego oblicza.

Pierś znowu tchnęła, lecz pierś lodowata,
Usta i oczy stanęły otworem,
Na świecie znowu, ale nie dla świata;
Czymże ten człowiek? - Upiorem.

Ci, którzy bliżej cmentarza mieszkali,
Wiedzą, iż upiór ten co rok się budzi,
Na dzień zaduszny mogiłę odwali
I dąży pomiędzy ludzi.


Btw.. me :)
me and my best friends ;*