All Saints' Day in Orthodoxy. Catholic holiday All Saints' Day. When did the holiday originate?
All Saints' Day was known in the early Christian church. Then all Christians were called saints, as having received new life in baptism and from now on belonging to Christ.
“To the saints who are in Ephesus”, “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi” - this is how the Apostle Paul addressed his letters, addressing the first Christians. The first Christians whom the church began to honor in a special way were those who died for the faith. The first known venerated martyr is considered to be Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, whose martyrdom was described in detail in the “District Epistle of the Church of Smyrna to other Churches,” dating from the year 155. In this document, the remains of the martyr are called more valuable than gold and precious stones. The message testified to the existence of the custom of preserving the relics of martyrs as a precious relic and honoring the burial place. Similar celebrations and prayers at the graves of martyrs for the faith were accepted everywhere where their burials were located. The day of veneration of these holy ascetics was usually considered the day of death, which began to be called their birthday for heaven.
Subsequently, the cult of the martyrs spread to all local churches and, in addition to the days of remembrance of individual martyrs, a general holiday began to be celebrated in their honor. Saint John Chrysostom testifies that the Byzantine Church honored the memory of all martyrs on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In East Syrian worship, the day of remembrance of the martyrs was the first Friday after Easter.
In the Roman church, the holiday was celebrated on May 13, which was associated with the day of the consecration of the temple in Rome in 609 (under another date in 610) in honor of the Virgin Mary and the martyrs. By this day, 28 carts of the remains of Christians who gave their lives for the faith were transported from the catacombs to the church. The annual remembrance of this event became the first celebration of the day, which is now known as the Solemnity of All Saints. Some time later, under Pope Gregory III, the concept of holiness expanded and began to include those who endured persecution and suffering for their faith in Christ, even when the persecution did not end in martyrdom, and then also ascetics who became famous for their virtuous lives - “all the blameless the righteous who have fallen asleep throughout the entire circle of the earth."
Pope Gregory IV officially introduced the feast of All Saints into church practice, moving it to November 1. The time of celebration was moved from spring to autumn, following the example of England and Ireland, where by this time it had been customary for more than a hundred years to remember all the saints on this day.
Until the 11th century, holiness was evidenced by the popular veneration of one or another ascetic or martyr. The first officially canonized saint was Ulrich of Augsburg - the process of canonization was completed in 1093, 120 years after his death.
The Solemnity of All Saints is one of the obligatory holidays of the Catholic Church; all Christians should participate in it, except those who cannot do so for serious reasons.
The liturgical prayers of All Saints' Day glorify God, the only source of holiness, express faith in the immortality of the saints, and also appeal to their intercession. The readings from the Holy Scriptures, in turn, reproduce the ethical code of Christianity (the eight “beatitudes” from the Sermon on the Mount) and testify to the presence of countless armies of saints.
All Saints' Day is followed by All Souls' Day, which is celebrated on November 2. In addition, for eight days, starting from November 1, it is customary to celebrate requiem masses, and the faithful are invited to especially intense prayer for the departed dear to their hearts.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
Christians zealously honor the traditions of their ancestors, not ignoring any holiday that the church has prescribed to be remembered and celebrated. One of these days is All Saints’ Day, writes gazeta.kg. This holiday exists not only among Catholics, but also in Orthodoxy.
Here you can find out when and how All Saints' Day will be celebrated in different Christian denominations (Catholicism and Orthodoxy) in 2017 and what traditions exist that have formed during the long history of this holiday.
When is All Saints' Day in 2017?
It should be noted that the date of this holiday among Orthodox Christians is constantly changing (it is movable), but is always celebrated on the next Sunday after Trinity, and since Trinity in 2017 falls on June 4, then accordingly All Saints Day in 2017 falls for the Orthodox on June 11.In turn, the date of the holiday for Catholics is immutable, that is, it is always celebrated from year to year - November 1, including in 2017.
Holiday All Saints Day in Orthodoxy
Not all people know that in the Orthodox Church there is such a holiday as All Saints' Day. The fact is that it is not as “promoted” as its Western counterpart among Catholics, although it has a similar essence. Orthodox Christians celebrate this holiday on the first Sunday after Trinity. The holiday dates back to the fourth century AD, but it was only a century later that it was officially adopted by the church.It is believed that the holiday of the Orthodox Trinity is truly a special date for all Christians, because Trinity is the (conditional) birthday of the church. Orthodoxy “grew” not from an empty phrase, but from the efforts and devoted faith of minions and followers of the teachings of Christ, of whom a very large number have accumulated over the many centuries of the existence of this religious movement. To honor each holy martyr, the church decided to set aside a special date on which to remember the exploits of those who gave their lives or suffered torment in the name of their faith.
Traditions of celebration in Catholicism
Almost every resident of our country is well aware that in mid-autumn Catholics celebrate a holiday called Halloween, which foreshadows the onset of another interesting event - All Saints' Day.Christians zealously honor the traditions of their ancestors, not ignoring any holiday that the church has prescribed to be remembered and celebrated. One of these days is All Saints' Day. This holiday exists not only among Catholics, but also in Orthodoxy. From this article you will learn when and how All Saints' Day will be celebrated in different Christian denominations (Catholicism and Orthodoxy) in 2017 and what traditions exist that have formed during the long history of this holiday.
When is All Saints' Day in 2017?
It should be noted that the date of this holiday among Orthodox Christians is constantly changing (it is movable), but is always celebrated on the next Sunday after Trinity, and since Trinity in 2017 falls on June 4, then accordingly All Saints Day in 2017 For the Orthodox it falls on June 11.
In turn, the date of the holiday among Catholics is permanent, that is, it is always celebrated from year to year - Nov. 1, including in 2017.
Holiday All Saints Day in Orthodoxy
Not all people know that in the Orthodox Church there is such a holiday as All Saints' Day. The fact is that it is not as “promoted” as its Western counterpart among Catholics, although it has a similar essence. Orthodox Christians celebrate this holiday on the first Sunday after Trinity. The holiday dates back to the fourth century AD, but it was only a century later that it was officially adopted by the church. 
It is believed that this is a truly special date for all Christians, because Trinity is the (conditional) birthday of the church. Orthodoxy “grew” not from an empty phrase, but from the efforts and devoted faith of minions and followers of the teachings of Christ, of whom a very large number have accumulated over the many centuries of the existence of this religious movement. To honor each holy martyr, the church decided to set aside a special date on which to remember the exploits of those who gave their lives or suffered torment in the name of their faith.
Traditions of celebration in Catholicism
Almost every resident of our country is well aware that in mid-autumn Catholics celebrate a holiday called Halloween, which foreshadows the onset of another interesting event - All Saints' Day. The meaning of the holiday for Catholics is the same as for Orthodox Christians: honoring all those who dedicated their lives to the service of Christianity and suffered in some way because of their faith. However, Catholics view this event a little differently. On this day, it is customary to dress up in scary costumes, make noise, sing and have fun in every possible way. And the reason for this behavior was the pagan roots of the holiday. Previously, it was believed that all evil spirits were coming out of their hiding places and looking for victims for their dark plans. Therefore, the common population tried to transform into dark forces as plausibly as possible, so as not to attract attention to themselves, or to avoid showing up from home at all. 
On All Saints' Day 2017 - November 1, Catholics will try to visit the cemetery to honor the memory of their deceased relatives. Those who did not have time to do this on this date can do it the next day - November 2, All Souls' Day.
A week after Trinity Orthodox Christians celebrate All Saints' Day. In Orthodoxy this holiday is called All Saints Cathedral. After All Saints' Day comes Petrovsky post, the duration of which is associated with the day of Easter.
When is All Saints' Day celebrated in 2017?
Because the Trinity (Pentecost) in 2017 it was celebrated on June 4, All Saints' Day in Orthodoxy accounts for June 11. Catholics and Protestants celebrate All Saints' Day in the fall - for them the holiday is immutable and is always celebrated Nov. 1. Catholics call All Saints' Eve Halloween and is celebrated on the evening of October 31st.
What is the Cathedral of All Saints
All Saints Day, in Orthodoxy - the Council of All Saints - is the worship of all saints to the son of God described in the “Revelation of John the Theologian”.
The term “all saints” covers both canonized saints and those who, despite their feat of faith, remained unknown during their lifetime and therefore are not revered.
In Orthodoxy, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Trinity (Pentecost), that is, on the eighth Sunday after Easter. Read more about the holiday of Trinity in Federal News Agency.
The holiday All Saints' Day has been known since the late 4th - early 5th centuries. There is a sermon John Chrysostom in memory of “all the saints who suffered throughout the world.” The connection between All Saints' Day and the Trinity is very important: the church believes that although the saints lived at different times and became famous for different deeds, they all received the grace of the holy spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost.
The Cathedral of All Saints is the last day before Peter's (apostolic) fast, which reads 12 June.
And a week after the general All Saints Day, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates another holiday: the Council of All Saints who have shone in the Russian land.
Petrov fast in 2017
In 2017 Petrov (Petrovsky) post will last a month - from June 12 to July 11 inclusive. The duration and beginning of Peter's Lent depend on the date of Easter. Peter's Fast always begins on Monday, the 57th day after Easter and a week after Trinity Day. The longest fast can last one and a half months, the shortest - eight days.
The tradition of fasting at the beginning of summer was established by the apostles, who called for celebrating one week (week) after Pentecost, and then fasting in order to prepare for the gospel service. In Orthodoxy, the Petrine Fast is established in memory of the apostles Peter and Paul. The fast ends with Peter's Day, which is very important in folk tradition, since it falls in the very middle of summer.
What can you eat on Petrov fast?
Unlike Great Lent, Peter's Fast is not so strict. During this period, you cannot eat meat, eggs and dairy products, but on some days fish and seafood are allowed, and wine is also allowed on Sunday. And the presence of a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits makes this post easier than Lent.
HISTORY OF ALL SAINTS DAY
In the 4th century, the first mentions of this holiday began to appear. In the sermon of St. John Chrysostom (IV century) he glorifies “ all the saints around the world who suffered” and indicates a special day of their veneration. St. Petersburg also mentions this holiday in his hymns. Ephraim the Syrian (IV century).
Around the 5th century, the celebration in honor of All Saints began to be celebrated on the first Sunday after Trinity; later this holiday was officially assigned to this date by the Church.
ALL SAINTS DAY
The Church considers the main idea of this day to be the glorification of all the Saints, who are our intercessors before God and helpers in prayers to the Lord throughout our lives. We often turn to one or another Saint and ask them to help pray to the Lord for us, and Saints often respond to these requests, because they see our efforts in finding our spiritual path, in forgiveness and repentance.
It is no coincidence that All Saints' Day is celebrated immediately after. After all, Trinity is considered the Birthday of the Church and, like a small sprout planted in the ground, She blossomed in the person of the holy martyrs and confessors, saints, saints and holy fools.
None of these people were born saints. They were not sinless, they all had some sins, but the most important thing is to realize them and sincerely repent. Church canons warn the Orthodox that saints cannot be considered sinless.
The Gospel says that even sinners enter heaven. To the right of the crucified Savior, a thief hung on the cross, who in the last minutes of his life repented to God and asked Jesus Christ:
“Remember me, Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom”
In this short sentence one could feel faith in Jesus, in His Divinity and the thief’s readiness to repent. She turned out to be sincere, otherwise this man would not have gone to heaven.
People came to their holiness in different ways, but the result was God's grace, which, according to St. John of Damascus, made them " pure dwellings of God».
God's grace comes with the Holy Spirit, so people who prayed earnestly to the Lord and worked to "acquire" the Holy Spirit were strong in their faith. They were given a lot, but this gift of God was honestly “earned” by them and they did not “keep” this gift to themselves; with God’s help they helped people.
At a time when Rus' was conquered by the Mongol-Tatars, Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky visited the Horde more than once, all the time softening the Tatar Khan with his meekness. Thus, he practically saved Rus' from the extermination of Christianity by the Tatars; the invaders practically did not touch Orthodox churches and did not force our people to worship their gods.
The revered Russian Saint, Reverend Sergius of Radonezh, more than once came to the princes and asked them for mercy in the form of relief for his peasants, and it was not surprising that the Saint’s requests were fulfilled, because he was strong in the Holy Spirit.
It is unknown how many Saints there are in Christianity. The feat of many people will remain unknown to people. Only God knows about this. He knows everything - about the deaths for faith in Christ, about the torment, about the work of ascetic monks who lived in difficult conditions, renouncing the world, and prayed for us people before the Lord.
After a godless time, the exploits of many thousands of ordinary people who ended up in Soviet camps for their faith became known. These people “only” preached the Gospel, love for God and people, honesty and decency in their lives, and not Marxism-Leninism. While tortured, they were tempted with freedom for signing on a piece of paper, which stated that there is no God. At the cost of their health or even their lives, they did not renounce God. These are real Saints!
But in our understanding, they were ordinary people, they also went to shops, studied, worked, lived a simple life, these people lived quite recently and there are still those who saw them, who talked to them.
It turns out that God's grace does not go back to the early or middle ages, it is very close to us.
To be closer to God, it is necessary, as with everything in life, to make an effort, as did those people whose memory is honored on All Saints’ Day, who acquired the Holy Spirit and found the anointing of grace.
All Saints' Day is not a holiday in the sense that we perceive the word. This, to be more precise, is veneration and thanksgiving to them, pure and bright people who worked miracles for the glory of God. Who did not spare their lives for the glory of Christ, won the love and respect of people.
We are all under someone's protection and patronage; each person at baptism received a name in honor of some saint. It is very useful to read about your patron, how he lived, why he became a saint. Perhaps his example will help us become at least a little like him, improve our lives and learn to live the way your patron saint did.
In his sermon on All Saints' Day, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh said:
“If we want to give glory to the saints, glorify our saint, justify that this name has been entrusted to us, we must learn to live as he lived, as Christ lived, as we are called to live. Otherwise, every praise that we utter to a saint will someday be a reproach to us: he knew - and did not do it ... "
SERVICE ON ALL SAINTS' DAY
On Sunday, at the morning service, the eleven Gospels are read, telling about the resurrection of Christ. And at the evening Sunday service, excerpts from the Old Testament are read to the Glory of the Saints.
At the morning service the next day, Monday, a liturgy is held, at which the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle to the Romans are read (during the Easter period, the Acts of the Holy Apostles and the Gospel of John were read).
On the same day, Orthodox Christians begin the Apostolic (Petrov) Fast.
WHO ARE THE SAINTS
In our prayers we turn to the Lord God, to His Most Pure Mother, to the Holy Angels and Holy People.
The Mother of God stands above all the Saints, she is closest to God. Angels are “messengers” from God, disembodied spirits who carry out His will.
Pleasers of God- these are holy people who pleased God with their righteous life on earth. They pray to God for us and help us.
Prophets- the saints who lived before the coming of Jesus Christ predicted the future, mainly about the Savior.
Apostles - disciples of Jesus Christ, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, they preached the Christian faith throughout all countries. At first there were twelve apostles closest to the Lord, and then seventy more were called. Peter and Paul are the Supreme Apostles; they worked more than others in spreading Christianity. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the Evangelist are the Evangelists who wrote about the life of Jesus Christ.
Equal to the Apostles - saints who, like the apostles, spread the faith of Christ on Earth (the blessed kings Constantine and Helen, the blessed Holy Prince Vladimir).
Martyrs - accepted cruel torture or death for the faith of Christ.
Confessors- saints who died peacefully later, after suffering torment.
Great Martyrs- saints who died after severe suffering (Holy Great Martyr George (the Victorious), Holy Great Martyrs Barbara, Catherine).
Saints - bishops or bishops who pleased God with their righteous lives (St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow).
Hieromartyrs- saints who suffered torment for Christ.
Universal teachers- these are the teachers of the entire Christian Church (Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom).
Reverends- these are righteous people who have retired from worldly life and observed a vow of celibacy, who have pleased God. They mostly lived in deserts and monasteries (Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov).
Venerable Martyrs- saints who suffered torment for Christ.
Righteous - lived like us in the world, were family people and led a righteous life pleasing to God (Righteous Saints Joachim and Anna).
Unmercenary - They healed people without any payment, healing physical and mental illnesses (healer Panteleimon, Cosmas and Damian).
Fool for Christ's sake - people who, for the sake of Christ, show the world strange actions, but in fact are filled with deep wisdom. They are also called blessed (Xenia of Petersburg).