All Saints’ Day
All Saint’s Day, All Hallow’s Day, or Hallowmas is a commemoration of all of those who are part of the heavenly communion of saints. Though it was customary since the days of early Christianity to honour martyrs on the anniversary of their death, a day to remember all saints seems to have begun in the West after the dedication of the old pagan temple, the Pantheon, as the Church of St Mary and the Martyrs. However, the date of November 1 was the decision of Pope Gregory III in the 730s. (Some historians have tried to link this tradition to similar pagan days to honour the dead such as the Celtic Samhain.)
The Catholic Church takes the word “saint” to be less inclusive than Protestants for whom the term takes in all the faithful dead. For the latter, November 1 is a day to remember family and congregational members who have passed away and in many Christian cultures it is a time to visit cemeteries, tidy up grave sites, and light candles.