Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD
The images from Mexico go around the world every year: people dressed as skeletons dancing in the streets and showing off their colorful costumes and painted faces. The “Day of the Dead”, as the Mexicans call the happy folk festival, is reminiscent of a carnival parade. At first glance, this has little to do with All Saints Day, as it is celebrated in Austria. But in this country too, tomorrow’s holiday is actually not a day of mourning, but a celebration of life.
When people gather at the graves of their deceased relatives, it is not an act of commemoration. November 1st celebrates the new life into which the saints have come. The saints, that’s all of them. Also the unknown people who do good in secret and are not on any calendar.
Too little space in the calendar
Every Christian should find a helper and an advocate in every situation. That was the original thought of the saints. Over time, the Church has expanded this list to create a day for everyone. All Saints’ Day is related to Easter and is characterized by the belief that people have achieved their goal in life with God after their death. Therefore they are also holy.
The festival has its roots in the Orient. All martyrs had already been commemorated there in the fourth century. The date was initially different. The Friday after Easter, May 13th and the Sunday after Pentecost have been handed down as such “memorial days”. Since the ninth century, when Louis the Pious made its debut in France, November 1st has been celebrated throughout the Church. Many people use the holiday to visit the cemetery. Traditionally, the graves are blessed by the Catholic Church. Traditionally, All Saints Day is also associated with increased traffic around the cemeteries. “The good news is that the general short-term parking zone regulations do not apply on public holidays,” said Thomas Haider from the ARBÖ traffic club, pointing out “stopping and parking bans and changed access rules that may have been imposed specifically for All Saints Day.”
All Souls Day to commemorate the dead
In contrast to All Saints’ Day, the following day, All Souls’ Day, is not a public holiday. Its history goes back to the year 998. At that time, all monasteries were required to remember all the deceased through prayer and mass on the day after All Saints Day. Before that, the “new” life of the saint will be celebrated tomorrow.
On the trail of life and death there will be a station journey until next Sunday St. Barbara Cemetery in Linz, which teaches children how to deal with farewell, grief and remembrance. A Requiem by WA Mozart will be performed on November 2nd, 7 p.m., in the Church of Peace in Urfahr held by the choir and the Sinfonia Christkönig.
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Source: Nachrichten
