All Saints Day: This is how Baden-Württemberg residents remember their deceased!

All Saints Day: This is how Baden-Württemberg residents remember their deceased!

All Saints' Day is approaching in Cologne, and the city is preparing to honor this time of tradition. On November 1st, which is celebrated as All Saints Day in many parts of Germany, Christians of all denominations remember their deceased relatives. In predominantly Catholic regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Rhineland-Palatinate, where this tradition is deeply rooted, the memory of the saints is honored on this day. [SWR].

All Saints Day, also known as Sollemnitas Omnium Sanctorum, is a Christian festival that is already anchored in ancient Christianity. Celebrations in the Roman Catholic Church may have originated as far back as 609 or 610, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon. In 835, Pope Gregory IV finally fixed the holiday on November 1st, which is now recognized in almost all Catholic dioceses. Wikipedia highlights that the liturgical color for this festive day is white, while Lutheran churches use red.

Celebrations and traditions

Numerous church services are celebrated in the communities on All Saints' Day, with large churches such as the Freiburg Minster or the Cathedral Church in Stuttgart being particularly well attended on this day. A large number of visitors can also be expected in the Cologne area. Das Erste broadcasts a service from St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin to give people the opportunity to properly celebrate the holiday.

But All Saints Day is more than just a religious holiday; it is also a quiet holiday. This means that public celebrations and dances are not permitted between 3 a.m. and midnight. This dancing ban was originally introduced in 2015 and remains in effect today. Time and Date informs that many people also use the day for excursions or shopping, as it is a normal working day in the neighboring state of Hesse. On such a day, it is still important to respect the silence and traditions, which for many bring inner peace.

Social significance

While commemoration is strong in Catholic regions, similar commemoration customs can also be seen among Protestants. Traditionally, many people still attend a church service or pray for their deceased. In all of these regions, graves are decorated with flowers and candles, a beautiful way to break through the darkness of loss with light and color.

All Saints Day is not only an occasion for commemoration, but also an opportunity to meet with the family and talk to each other. It is a tacit invitation to take care of the well-being of the deceased and to re-sort your own thoughts and feelings. This creates a very special connection between past, present and future, which is noticeable these days.

Overall, All Saints' Day becomes a multifaceted festival of remembrance and faith, which remains alive through the diversity of traditions in Cologne and the surrounding area. People use this day to pause, remember and look back - far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.