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133-541: Although primarily a manifestation of ancestor worship , the tradition has also been associated with Confucianism and Buddhism (in East Asian cultural civilizations) or Hinduism and Buddhism ( South Asia but mainly in India , Nepal and Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia ). In Judaism (the majority religion of Israel), such a commemoration is called a yahrtzeit (among other terms). Celebration of mass in memory of

266-714: A cemetery with many companions and early caliphs. Many other mausoleums are major architectural, political, and cultural sites, including the National Mausoleum in Pakistan and the Taj Mahal in India. However, the religious movement of Wahhabism disputes the concept of saint veneration. Followers of this movement have destroyed many gravesite shrines, including in Saudi Arabia and in territory controlled by

399-413: A spiritual cockfight . Ancestor veneration is one of the most unifying aspects of Vietnamese culture , as practically all Vietnamese have an ancestor altar in their home or business. In Vietnam, traditionally people did not celebrate birthdays (before Western influence), but the death anniversary of one's loved one was always an important occasion. Besides an essential gathering of family members for

532-402: A 'self'. In the animistic indigenous religions of the precolonial Philippines , ancestor spirits were one of the two major types of spirits ( anito ) with whom shamans communicate. Ancestor spirits were known as umalagad (lit. "guardian" or "caretaker"). They can be the spirits of actual ancestors or generalized guardian spirits of a family. Ancient Filipinos believed that upon death,

665-429: A banquet in memory of the deceased, incense sticks are burned along with hell notes , and great platters of food are made as offerings on the ancestor altar, which usually has pictures or plaques with the names of the deceased. In the case of missing persons, believed to be dead by their family, a Wind tomb is made. These offerings and practices are done frequently during important traditional or religious celebrations,

798-522: A central location in some cemeteries; the one held in Mirogoj , Zagreb is broadcast every year on national television. In France, and throughout the Francophone world, the day is known as La Toussaint . Flowers (especially chrysanthemums ), or wreaths called couronnes de toussaints , are placed at each tomb or grave. The following day, 2 November ( All Souls' Day ) is called Le jour des morts ,

931-825: A commemoration of All Martyrs to a general commemoration of All Saints, whether martyrs or not. This Sunday marks the close of the Paschal season . To the normal Sunday services are added special scriptural readings and hymns to all the saints (known and unknown) from the Pentecostarion . In the late spring, the Sunday following Pentecost Saturday (50 days after Easter) is set aside as a commemoration of all locally venerated saints, such as "All Saints of America", "All Saints of Mount Athos ", etc. The third Sunday after Pentecost may be observed for even more localised saints, such as "All Saints of St. Petersburg ", or for saints of

1064-435: A dead person is called a Pitr , which is venerated. When a person dies, the family observes a thirteen-day mourning period, generally called śrāddha . A year thence, they observe the ritual of tarpana , in which the family makes offerings to the deceased. During these rituals, the family prepares the food items that the deceased liked and offers food to the deceased. They offer this food to crows as well on certain days as it

1197-574: A death anniversary is called meinichi ( 命日 ) , kishin ( 忌辰 ) , or kijitsu/kinichi ( 忌日 ) . Monthly observances of a death are known as tsuki meinichi ( 月命日 ) , while annual anniversaries are known as shōtsuki meinichi ( 祥月命日 ) . In Korea, ancestor worship ceremonies are referred to by the generic term jerye ( 제례/祭禮 ). Notable examples of jerye include Munmyo jerye and Jongmyo jerye , which are performed periodically each year for venerated Confucian scholars and kings of ancient times, respectively. The ceremony held on

1330-559: A feast commemorating all saints on 1 November. There was much Gaelic influence on Northumbria and its church during this period. Some manuscripts of the Irish Martyrology of Tallaght and Martyrology of Óengus , which date to this time, have a commemoration of all saints of the world on 1 November. In 800, Alcuin of Northumbria recommended the 1 November feast to his friend, Arno of Salzburg in Bavaria . Alcuin,

1463-487: A festive atmosphere. Residents of surrounding villages are often invited to attend the party, where food and rum are typically served and a hiragasy troupe or other musical entertainment is commonly present. Veneration of ancestors is also demonstrated through adherence to fady , taboos that are respected during and after the lifetime of the person who establishes them. It is widely believed that by showing respect for ancestors in these ways, they may intervene on behalf of

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1596-595: A form of ancestor worship called kule aradhane. In Indonesia ancestor worship has been a tradition of some of the indigenous people. Podom of the Toba Batak , Waruga of the Minahasans and the coffins of the Karo people (Indonesia) are a few examples of the forms the veneration takes. Before the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, ancestor worship and funerary rites were not common, especially for non-elites. In

1729-633: A grave site is visited, a small pebble is placed on the headstone . While there is no clear answer as to why, this custom of leaving pebbles may date back to biblical days when individuals were buried under piles of stones. Today, they are left as tokens that people have been there to visit and to remember. Americans of various religions and cultures may build a shrine in their home dedicated to loved ones who have died, with pictures of their ancestors, flowers and mementos. Increasingly, many roadside shrines may be seen for deceased relatives who died in car accidents or were killed on that spot, sometimes financed by

1862-509: A group coordination role during human evolution , and thus it was the mechanism that led to religious representation fostering group cohesion . Ancestor veneration is prevalent throughout Africa, and serves as the basis of many religions. It is often augmented by a belief in a supreme being, but prayers and/or sacrifices are usually offered to the ancestors who may ascend to becoming a kind of minor deities themselves. Ancestor veneration remains among many Africans, sometimes practiced alongside

1995-432: A lot due to past karmas. Shraadh is a means of alleviating this suffering. Shraddhyaa Kriyate Yaa Saa श्रद्धया क्रियते या सा  : Shraadh is the ritual accomplished to satiate one's ancestors. Shraadh is a private ceremony performed by the family members of the departed soul. Though not mandated spiritually, it is typically performed by the eldest son and other siblings join in offering prayers together. In Japan,

2128-508: A loved one on or near the anniversary of their death is also a part of Roman Catholic Christian tradition. In China, a death anniversary is called 忌辰 ; jìchén or 忌日 ; jìrì . This type of ceremony dates back thousands of years in China (at least to the Shang dynasty ) and historically involved making sacrifices to the spirits of one's ancestors. In India (and Nepal), a death anniversary

2261-540: A member of Charlemagne 's court, may have been responsible for introducing this Irish-Northumbrian feast of All Saints in the Frankish Empire . Adoption of the 1 November feast might also have been driven by Irish missionaries , and there were Irish clerics and scholars at Charlemagne's court as well. Some scholars propose that churches in the British Isles began celebrating All Saints on 1 November in

2394-687: A particular type, such as " New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke ". In addition to the Mondays mentioned above, Saturdays throughout the year are days for general commemoration of all saints, and special hymns to all saints are chanted from the Octoechos . The celebration of 1 November in Lebanon as a holiday reflects the influence of Western Catholic orders present in Lebanon and is not Maronite in origin. The traditional Maronite feast equivalent to

2527-477: A person on special days such as death day of person, event anniversaries, festivals, auspicious days in Kartika, Shravana or Bhadrapada months of Hindu calendar . These memorials are washed with milk and water on these days. They are smeared with sindoor or kumkuma and flowers are scattered over it. The earthen lamp is lighted near it with sesame oil. Sometimes a flag is erected over it. Tuluvas practice

2660-469: A practice called pasiyam (although some start the practice the night after the death). It is also customary for another service to be given on the fortieth day after the death, as it is traditionally believed that the souls of the dead wander the Earth for forty days. One year after the death, the first year death anniversary ( Tagalog : babang luksa , literally "lowering of mourning") is commemorated with

2793-471: A scholar who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries, proposed that Pope Gregory VII (1073–85) suppressed the 13 May date in favour of 1 November. By the 12th century, the 13 May feast of All Saints had been deleted from liturgical books. The All Saints octave was added by Pope Sixtus IV (1471–84). In the Catholic Church , All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation . It is celebrated through

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2926-719: A soft-boiled egg be prepared and then given to the oldest grandson. In Sri Lanka, people commonly commemorate death anniversaries after seven days, 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years, with alms given either to monks or to the needy. In Western Christianity , it became custom during the Middle Ages to commemorate the deceased after 3, 7 and 30 days as well as 1 year after their death. In addition to this, pious donors made endowments to religious institutions to commemorate them in an annual mass on anniversaries of their deaths. These services were referred to as anniversaries ( Latin anniversarium ), obiits or chantries . The German term

3059-545: A year by the royal family, during the Burmese New Year ( Thingyan ), at the beginning and at the end of Vassa . The images were stored in the treasury and worshiped at the Zetawunzaung ( ဇေတဝန်ဆောင် , "Hall of Ancestors"), along with a book of odes. Some scholars attribute the disappearance of ancestor worship to the influence of Buddhist doctrines of anicca and anatta , impermanence and rejection of

3192-514: Is Jahrzeit , from which the Yiddish term Yahrtzeit is derived in Judaism . In order to provide this service, monasteries and collegiate churches wrote the names of the donors down in calendrical registers called anniversary books . There was no temporal limit to this spiritual service, obliging institutions to perpetual commemoration until Judgment Day . Observant Jews commemorate

3325-471: Is a national holiday which is followed by Halottak napja ( Day of the Dead ). On Day of the Dead people take candles and flowers (especially chrysanthemums ) on the tombs or graves of all their loved ones and relatives thus many people travel around the country to distant cemeteries. People who cannot travel may lay their flowers or candles at the main calvary cross of a nearby cemetery. Since only All Saints Day

3458-589: Is a national holiday, most people use this day to visit cemeteries and pay tribute to their deceased relatives. As in the case with every national holiday in Hungary if All Saints Day happens to be a Tuesday or a Thursday then that week's Monday or Friday is observed as a Saturday, making that weekend four days long, and one of the previous or following Saturdays is changed to a workday. Traffic in and around cemeteries are much higher than usual on these days with actual police presence. In Poland, Dzień Wszystkich Świętych

3591-431: Is a national holiday. People take flowers to the graves of dead relatives. The play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed. In Guatemala, All Saints' Day is a national holiday. On that day Guatemalans make a special meal called fiambre which is made of cold meats and vegetables; it is customary to visit cemeteries and to leave some of the fiambre for their dead. It is also customary to fly kites to help unite

3724-517: Is a public holiday. Belgians visit the cemeteries to place chrysanthemums on the graves of deceased relatives on All Saints Day, since All Souls' Day is not a holiday. All Saints' Day (Croatian: Svi sveti ) is observed in Croatia by placing candles and flowers on the graves of the deceased. It is a public holiday with most businesses closed. Cities provide free public transportation to the local cemeteries. Liturgies are also conducted by priests around

3857-523: Is a public holiday. Families try to gather together for both All Saints' Day and the All Souls' Day ( Zaduszki ) , the official day to commemorate the departed faithful. The celebrations begin with tending to family graves and the surrounding graveyards, lighting candles and leaving flowers. 1 November is a public holiday in Poland, while the following All Souls' Day is not. The Zaduszki custom of honouring

3990-527: Is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to seven generations. Monks chant the suttas in Pali language overnight (continuously, without sleeping) in prelude to the gates of hell opening, an event that is presumed to occur once a year, and is linked to the cosmology of King Yama originating in the Pali Canon . During this period, the gates of hell are opened and ghosts of

4123-570: Is also common practice among veterans to memorialize fallen service members on the dates of their death. This practice is also common in other countries when remembering Americans who died in battles to liberate their towns in the World Wars . One example of this is on 16 August (1944) Colonel Griffith , died of wounds from enemy action sustained in Lèves , the same day he is credited with saving Chartres Cathedral from destruction. In Judaism, when

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4256-498: Is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence , and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Some groups venerate their direct, familial ancestors. Certain religious groups, in particular the Eastern Orthodox Churches , Anglican Church , and Catholic Church venerate saints as intercessors with God ;

4389-484: Is believed that the soul comes in the form of a bird to taste it. They are also obliged to offer śrāddha , a small feast of specific preparations, to eligible Brahmins . Only after these rituals are the family members allowed to eat. It is believed that this reminds the ancestors's spirits that they are not forgotten and are loved, so it brings them peace. On śrāddha days, people pray that the souls of ancestors be appeased, forget any animosity and find peace. Each year, on

4522-648: Is common for volunteers to place small American flags at each grave. Memorial Day is traditionally observed on the last Monday in May, allotting for a 3-day weekend in which many memorial services and parades take place not only across the country, but in 26 American cemeteries on foreign soil (in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Panama, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, and Tunisia). It

4655-781: Is followed by All Souls' Day on 2 November. It is a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches , and a Principal Feast of the Anglican Communion . From the 4th century, there existed in certain places and at sporadic intervals a feast day to commemorate all Christian martyrs. It was held on 13 May in Edessa , the Sunday after Pentecost in Antioch , and

4788-523: Is known as shraadh (Shraaddha "श्राद्ध" in Nepali). The first death anniversary is called a barsy , from the word baras , meaning year in Hindi . Shraadh means to give with devotion or to offer one's respect. Shraadh is a ritual for expressing one's respectful feelings for the ancestors. According to Nepali and Indian texts, a soul has to wander about in the various worlds after death and has to suffer

4921-520: Is largely confined to some ethnic minority communities, but mainstream remnants of it still exist, such as worship of Bo Bo Gyi (literally "great grandfather"), as well as of other guardian spirits such as nats , all of which may be vestiges of historic ancestor worship. Ancestor worship was present in the royal court in pre-colonial Burma. During the Konbaung dynasty , solid gold images of deceased kings and their consorts were worshipped three times

5054-570: Is marked by the recounting of ghost stories , bonfires , wearing costumes , carving jack-o'-lanterns , and " trick-or-treating " (going door to door and begging for candy). In Cornwall and Wales , the autumn ancestor festivals occur around November 1. In Cornwall the festival is known as Kalan Gwav , and in Wales as Calan Gaeaf . Modern-day Halloween is derived from these festivals. During Samhain , November 1 in Ireland and Scotland,

5187-439: Is non-existent and is replaced by other pre-colonial traditions unique to each community. Undas is also seen as a family holiday, where members living elsewhere return to their hometowns to visit ancestral graves. Family members are expected to remain beside the grave for the entire day and socialize with each other to strengthen ties. In some cases, family members going to graves may exceed one hundred people. Fighting in any form

5320-496: Is not a pre-colonial observance but an import from Mexico, where it is known as the Day of the Dead. Pre-colonial Filipinos preferred going to the burial caves of the departed occasionally as they believed that aswáng (monster, half-vampire, half-werewolf beings) would take the corpse of the dead if it was not properly guarded. Watching over the body of the dead is called "paglalamay". However, in some communities, this paglalamay tradition

5453-637: Is not the same as the worship of a deity or deities. In some Afro-diasporic cultures, ancestors are seen as being able to intercede on behalf of the living, often as messengers between humans and God. As spirits who were once human themselves, they are seen as being better able to understand human needs than would a divine being. In other cultures, the purpose of ancestor veneration is not to ask for favors but to do one's filial duty. Some cultures believe that their ancestors actually need to be provided for by their descendants, and their practices include offerings of food and other provisions. Others do not believe that

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5586-407: Is taboo during Undas. Children are allowed to play with melted candles left at tombs, which they form into wax balls. The round balls symbolize the affirmation that everything goes back to where it began, as the living will return to dust from whence it came. In some cases, families also light candles by the front door, their number equivalent to the number of departed loved ones. It is believed that

5719-469: Is variously called Undás (from the Spanish Honras , meaning 'honours', as in "with honours"), Todos los Santos (Spanish, 'All Saints'), and sometimes Araw ng mga Patay / Yumao ( Tagalog , 'Day of the Dead, passed away'), which incorporates All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day . Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting their families' graves to clean and repair the tombs. Prayers for

5852-669: The Anglican Church in England ), November 1 ( All Saints' Day ), became known and is still known as the day to specifically venerate those who have died, and who have been deemed official saints by the Church. November 2, ( All Souls Day ), or "The Day of the Dead", is the day when all of the faithful dead are remembered. On that day, families go to cemeteries to light candles for their dead relatives, leave them flowers, and often to picnic. They also celebrate Suffrage Masses to shorten

5985-464: The Catholic Church , one's local parish church often offers prayers for the dead on their death anniversary or All Souls' Day. In the United States, Memorial Day is a Federal holiday for remembering the deceased men and women who served in the nation's military, particularly those who died in war or during active service. In the 147 National Cemeteries , like Arlington and Gettysburg , it

6118-529: The Celtic nations and the diaspora . Lights in the window to guide the dead home are left burning all night. On the Isle of Man the festival is known as "old Sauin" or Hop-tu-Naa . In the United States and Canada, flowers, wreaths, grave decorations and sometimes candles, food, small pebbles, or items the dead valued in life are put on graves year-round as a way to honor the dead. These traditions originate in

6251-659: The Cordillerans ; tonong among the Maguindanao and Maranao ; umboh among the Sama-Bajau ; ninunò among Tagalogs ; and nono among Bicolanos . Ancestor spirits are usually represented by carved figures called taotao . These were carved by the community upon a person's death. Every household had a taotao stored in a shelf in the corner of the house. The predominantly Roman Catholic Filipino people still hold ancestors in particular esteem—though without

6384-777: The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (held on the first Sunday of November), and in some Christian denominations, such as Anglicanism , extends to Remembrance Sunday . In places where All Saints' Day is observed as a public holiday, cemetery and grave rituals such as offerings of flowers, candles and prayers or blessings for the graves of loved ones often take place on All Saints Day (along with other days of Allsaintstide, especially on All Hallows Eve and All Souls Day). In Austria and Germany, godparents gift their godchildren Allerheiligenstriezel (All Saint's Braid) on All Saint's Day, while

6517-660: The Islamic State . All Saints%27 Day All Saints' Day , also known as All Hallows' Day , the Feast of All Saints , the Feast of All Hallows , the Solemnity of All Saints , and Hallowmas , is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown. From the 4th century, feasts commemorating all Christian martyrs were held in various places, on various dates near Easter and Pentecost . In

6650-672: The Trưng Sisters are widely participated. In March 2007 Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương became a public holiday in Vietnam . As in all traditional commemorations, the Vietnamese calendar is used, except Vietnamese Catholics who commemorate the dead anniversary in Gregorian calendar . In Vietnamese culture, certain special, traditional dishes (particularly desserts) are only prepared for death anniversary banquets. In addition, favorite foods of

6783-644: The United Methodist Church , All Saints' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in November. It is held not only to remember Saints but also members of the local church congregation who have died. In some congregations, a candle is lit by the Acolyte as each person's name is called out by the clergy. Prayers and responsive readings may accompany the event. Being the vigil of All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day), in many countries , such as Ireland,

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6916-459: The anniversary of a family member's death is called charye (차례). It is still practised today. The majority of Catholics, Buddhists and nonbelievers practise ancestral rites, although Protestants do not. The Catholic ban on ancestral rituals was lifted in 1939, when the Catholic Church formally recognised ancestral rites as a civil practice. Ancestral rites are typically divided into three categories: Ancestor worship in modern-day Myanmar

7049-428: The razana (ancestors). The veneration of ancestors has led to the widespread tradition of tomb building, as well as the highlands practice of the famadihana , whereby a deceased family member's remains may be exhumed to be periodically re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds before being replaced in the tomb. The famadihana is an occasion to celebrate the beloved ancestor's memory, reunite with family and community, and enjoy

7182-486: The yahrtzeit ( Yiddish : יאָרצײַט , romanized :  yortsayt ) of the death of parents, siblings, spouses, or children according to the Hebrew calendar . The main observance involves recitation of kaddish prayer, and a widely practiced custom is to light a special candle that burns for 24 hours, called a yahrtzeit candle . Ancestor worship The veneration of the dead , including one's ancestors ,

7315-531: The 8th century to coincide with or replace the Gaelic Celtic festival known in Ireland and Scotland as Samhain . James Frazer represents this school of thought by arguing that 1 November was chosen because Samhain was the date of the Celtic festival of the dead. Ronald Hutton argues instead that the earliest documentary sources indicate Samhain was a harvest festival with no particular ritual connections to

7448-530: The 9th century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI "the Wise" (866–911). His wife, Empress Theophano lived a devout life and, after her death, miracles occurred. Her husband built a church for her relics and intended to name it to her. He was discouraged to do so by local bishops and instead dedicated it to "All Saints". According to tradition, it was Leo who expanded the feast from

7581-717: The 9th century, some churches in the British Isles began holding the commemoration of all saints on 1 November, and in the 9th century this a was extended to the whole Catholic Church by Pope Gregory IV . In Western Christianity , it is still celebrated on 1 November by the Western Catholic Church as well as by many Protestant churches, such as the Lutheran , Anglican , and Methodist traditions. The Eastern Orthodox Church and associated Eastern Catholic and Eastern Lutheran churches celebrate it on

7714-594: The African and European cultures see themselves as doing. This is consistent with the meaning of the word veneration in English, that is great respect or reverence caused by the dignity, wisdom, or dedication of a person. Although there is no generally accepted theory concerning the origins of ancestor veneration, this social phenomenon appears in some form in all human cultures documented so far. David-Barrett and Carney claim that ancestor veneration might have served

7847-518: The All Saints public holiday was moved from a fixed date of 1 November to a public holiday on the Saturday during the period between 31 October and 6 November. In the Åland Islands the first Saturday of November is an All Saints public holiday. In Montenegro , All Saints' Day is considered a Catholic holiday and is a non-working day for that religious community. In Bosnia and Herzegovina it

7980-538: The All Souls' Day period. In Sri Lanka, making offerings to one's ancestors is conducted on the sixth day after death as a part of traditional Sri Lankan funeral rites. In rural northern Thailand , a religious ceremony honoring ancestral spirits known as Faun Phii ( Thai : ฟ้อนผี , lit. "spirit dance" or "ghost dance") takes place. It includes offerings for ancestors with spirit mediums sword fighting, spirit-possessed dancing, and spirit mediums cock fighting in

8113-440: The Day of the Dead. November 1 is a public holiday. In Germany, Allerheiligen is a public holiday in five federal states, namely Baden-Württemberg , Bayern , Rheinland-Pfalz , Nordrhein-Westfalen and Saarland . They categorize it as a silent day (stiller Tag) when public entertainment events are only permitted if the serious character of the day is preserved. In Hungary, Mindenszentek napja (literally All Saints Day)

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8246-612: The East Syrians kept the Chaldean Calendar with a "Commemoratio Confessorum" celebrated on the Friday after Easter. The 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom from the late 4th or early 5th century marks the observance of a feast of all the martyrs on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Some scholars place the location where this sermon was delivered as Constantinople . The Feast of All Saints achieved greater prominence in

8379-470: The Friday after Easter by the Syrians. During the 5th century, St. Maximus of Turin preached annually on the Sunday after Pentecost in honor of all martyrs in what is today northern Italy. The Comes of Würzburg, the earliest existing ecclesiastical reading list, dating to the late 6th or early 7th century in what is today Germany, lists the Sunday after Pentecost as dominica in natale sanctorum ('Sunday of

8512-645: The Heian Period, abandonment was a common method of disposing of the dead. Following the advent of Buddhism, rituals were sometimes performed at the gravesite after burial or cremation. In Korea , ancestor veneration is referred to by the generic term jerye ( Korean :  제례 ; Hanja :  祭 禮 ) or jesa ( 제사 ; 祭 祀 ). Notable examples of jerye include Munmyo jerye and Jongmyo jerye , which are performed periodically each year for venerated Neo-Confucian scholars and kings of ancient times, respectively. The ceremony held on

8645-550: The Lutheran churches, the liturgical color for All Saints Day is white. The festival is commonly an occasion to remember those who have died in the Christian faith. In some places, the names of those within the congregation who have died in the last year are read during worship and each name is marked with the tolling of a bell or the lighting of a candle. While the dead are solemnly remembered during worship on All Saints' Sunday,

8778-454: The Nativity of the Saints'). By this time, the commemoration had expanded to include all saints, martyred or not. On 13 May 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary; the feast of dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since. It is suggested 13 May was chosen by the Pope and earlier by Christians in Edessa because it

8911-476: The Saints " by Walsham How . The most familiar tune for this hymn is Sine Nomine by Ralph Vaughan Williams . Other hymns that are popularly sung during corporate worship on this day are " I Sing a Song of the Saints of God " and " Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones ". The Eastern Orthodox Church , following the Byzantine tradition, commemorates all saints collectively on the Sunday after Pentecost , All Saints' Sunday (Greek: Ἁγίων Πάντων, Agiōn Pantōn ). By 411,

9044-411: The United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, Halloween (All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve) is celebrated on 31 October. Mass for the Vigil of All Saints is held in Christian congregations of the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican denominations. All Hallows' Eve has traditionally been a day of fasting in Western Christianity; Traditional Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans continue this practice in

9177-438: The Vatican and Venezuela . In Belgium , all Sundays are public holidays; should All Saints' Day fall on a Sunday, then a replacement day on a weekday of choice is given. In Monaco , if it falls on a Sunday, the next day is a statutory holiday. In Sweden , an All Saints public holiday falls on the Saturday during the period between 31 October and 6 November, with a half-holiday the day before. Both in Finland and Estonia ,

9310-463: The Western Christian practice, the liturgical celebration begins with its first vespers on the evening of 31 October, All Hallows' Eve (All Saints' Eve or "Halloween"), and ends at the compline of 1 November. It is thus the day before All Souls' Day , which commemorates the faithful departed. In many traditions, All Saints' Day is part of the season of Allhallowtide , which includes the three days from 31 October to 2 November inclusive, as well as

9443-428: The ancestors are even aware of what their descendants do for them, but that the expression of filial piety is what is important. Most cultures who practice ancestor veneration do not call it "ancestor worship". In English, the word worship usually but not always refers to the reverent love and devotion accorded a deity (god) or God . However, in other cultures, this act of worship does not confer any belief that

9576-441: The anniversary of a family member's death is called gije ( 기제/忌祭 ), and is celebrated by families as a private ceremony. For such occasions, the women of the family traditionally prepare an elaborate set of dishes, including tteok , jeon , jeok , and so forth. In the Philippines, the funeral is only one part of an elaborate mourning tradition. For nine days after the funeral has taken place, novena prayers are offered in

9709-536: The blood of Jesus and they resurrected with the Christ. Normally in east Syriac liturgy the departed souls are remembered on Friday. Church celebrates All Souls' Day on Friday before the beginning of Great lent or Great Fast. In Austria and Bavaria, it is customary on All Saints' Day for godfathers to give their godchildren Allerheiligenstriezel , a braided yeast pastry. People decorate and visit graves of their family members. In Belgium, Toussaint or Allerheiligen

9842-432: The ceremonies. In China , ancestor veneration (敬祖, pinyin : jìngzǔ ) and ancestor worship (拜祖, pinyin : bàizǔ ) seek to honour and recollect the actions of the deceased; they represent the ultimate homage to the dead. The importance of paying respect to parents (and elders) lies with the fact that all physical bodily aspects of one's being were created by one's parents, who continued to tend to one's well-being until one

9975-418: The continent. Furthermore, the large Indian population in places such as Fiji and Guyana has resulted in these practices spreading beyond their Asian homeland. The Ahom religion is based on ancestor-worship. The Ahoms believe that a person after his death remains as ‘Dam’(ancestor) only for a few days and soon he becomes ‘Phi’ (God). They also believe that the soul of a person which is immortal unites with

10108-577: The day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. The Lutheran branch of Christianity, on All Hallows' Day, remembers "those blessed fellow-believers who died in the Lord and are now at rest even as we wait with them for the Last Day and the resurrection of the body to eternal life with Christ." In Methodist theology, All Saints Day revolves around "giving God solemn thanks for

10241-481: The dead and the loving duty toward one's ancestors ( pietas ) were fundamental aspects of ancient Roman culture. A clear manifestation of this is Roman Republican era portrait busts which may have originated in the practice of making death masks of ancestors which were displayed in the home and during funerary rites and on the anniversary of the ancestor’s death. In Catholic countries in Europe (continued later with

10374-442: The dead ( preta ) are presumed to be especially active. In order to combat this, food-offerings are made to benefit them, some of these ghosts having the opportunity to end their period of purgation, whereas others are imagined to leave hell temporarily, to then return to endure more suffering; without much explanation, relatives who are not in hell (who are in heaven or otherwise reincarnated) are also generally imagined to benefit from

10507-403: The dead are recited, while offerings are made, the most common being flowers, candles, food, and for Chinese Filipinos , incense and kim . Many also spend the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the graves with feasting and merriment. Though Halloween is usually seen as an American influence, the country's trick-or-treat traditions during Undas are actually much older. This tradition

10640-408: The dead are thought to return to the world of the living, and offerings of food and light are left for them. On the festival day, ancient people would extinguish the hearth fires in their homes, participate in a community bonfire festival, and then carry a flame home from the communal fire and use it to light their home fires anew. This custom has continued to some extent into modern times, in both

10773-403: The dead can manifest as apparitions or ghosts ( mantiw ) and cause harm to living people. Paganito can be used to appease or banish them. Ancestor spirits also figured prominently during illness or death, as they were believed to be the ones who call the soul to the underworld, guide the soul (a psychopomp ), or meet the soul upon arrival. Ancestor spirits are also known as kalading among

10906-555: The dead finds its greatest expression in the Philippines is the Hallowmas season between 31 October and 2 November, variously called Undás (based on the word for "[the] first", the Spanish andas or possibly honra ), Todos los Santos (literally " All Saints "), and sometimes Áraw ng mga Patáy (lit. "Day of the Dead"), which refers to the following solemnity of All Souls' Day . Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting

11039-636: The dead thus corresponds with All Souls' Day celebrations and is much more observed in Poland than in most other places in the West. In Portugal, Dia de Todos os Santos is a national holiday. Families remember their dead with religious observances and visits to the cemetery. Portuguese children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition (also called santorinho , bolinho or fiéis de Deus ) going door-to-door, where they receive cakes, nuts, pomegranates, sweets and candies. In Spain, el Día de Todos los Santos

11172-505: The dead with the living. There are festivals in towns like Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango , where giant colorful kites are flown. All Saints' Day in Mexico coincides with the first day of the Day of the Dead ( Día de Muertos ) celebration. It commemorates children who have died ( Dia de los Inocentes ), and the second day celebrates all deceased adults. Allhallowtide in the Philippines

11305-744: The dead, is celebrated by the Ahom people on 31 January every year in memory of the departed. It is the manifestation of the concept of ancestor worship that the Ahoms share with other peoples originating from the Tai-Shan stock. It is a festival to show respect to the departed ancestors and remember their contribution to society. On the day of Me-Dam Me Phi worship is offered only to Chaufi and Dam Chaufi because they are regarded as gods of heaven. At Rakhigarhi , an Indus Valley civilization (IVC) site in Haryana ,

11438-516: The dead, which one academic referred to as "ghost riders". A ghost who came to possess a person would be honored with a dedicated grave monument or sanctuary, where locals would make offerings and swear oaths. Those who swore false oaths may be punished by the ghost in residence. This ghost was considered both powerful and something for others to fear. These ghosts are not necessarily saints (in fact, those who hold these beliefs believe very holy persons never possess others in this way, as they are always in

11571-522: The dead. Hutton proposes that 1 November was a Germanic rather than a Celtic idea. In 835, Charlemagne's son and successor, Emperor Louis the Pious , made All Saints' Day on 1 November a holy day of obligation throughout the Frankish Empire. His decree was issued "at the instance of Pope Gregory IV and with the assent of all the bishops", confirming the 1 November date. Sicard of Cremona ,

11704-460: The deaths of all of their ancestors at their grave sites on All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). In Vietnam, a death anniversary is called giỗ (𠰍), ngày giỗ (𣈗𠰍, literally " giỗ day"), đám giỗ (酖𠰍, literally " giỗ ceremony"), or bữa giỗ (把𠰍, literally " giỗ meal"). It is a festive occasion, at which members of an extended family gather together. Female family members traditionally spend

11837-609: The deceased in the Spring , Autumn , and Ghost Festivals . Due to the hardships of the late 19th- and 20th-century China, when meat and poultry were difficult to come by, sumptuous feasts are still offered in some Asian countries as a practice to the spirits or ancestors. However, in the orthodox Taoist and Buddhist rituals, only vegetarian food would suffice. For those with deceased in the afterlife or hell , elaborate or even creative offerings, such as servants , refrigerators , houses , car , paper money and shoes are provided so that

11970-408: The deceased person being honored are also prepared. Chicken , a particularly prized meat in Vietnam, is often cooked as well. In Central Vietnam, small stuffed glutinous rice flour balls wrapped in leaves called bánh ít are such a dish. Because the preparation of so many complex dishes is time-consuming, some families purchase or hire caterers to prepare certain dishes. It is also common that

12103-444: The deceased will be able to have these items after they have died. Often, paper versions of these objects are burned for the same purpose. Originally, real-life objects were buried with the dead. In time these goods were replaced by full size clay models which in turn were replaced by scale models, and in time today's paper offerings (including paper servants). Ancestors are widely revered, honoured, and venerated in India. The spirit of

12236-423: The deceased. For one year after a death, mourners dress all in black or wear a black pin as a remembrance during their daily lives. After babang luksa , the mourners may once again return to their normal dress, although depending on circumstances, some may opt to wear their mourning attire for longer periods. Although only the first anniversary of the death is specifically commemorated, Filipinos further commemorate

12369-559: The departed ancestors have become some kind of deity. Rather, the act is a way to express filial duty, devotion and respect and look after ancestors in their afterlives as well as seek their guidance for their living descendants. In this regard, many cultures and religions have similar practices. Some may visit the graves of their parents or other ancestors, leave flowers and pray to them in order to honor and remember them, while also asking their ancestors to continue to look after them. However, this would not be considered as worshipping them since

12502-432: The diverse cultural backgrounds of the current populations of both countries. In the United States, many people honor deceased loved ones who were in the military on Memorial Day . Days with religious and spiritual significance like Easter , Christmas , Candlemas , and All Souls' Day , Day of the Dead , or Samhain are also times when relatives and friends of the deceased may gather at the graves of their loved ones. In

12635-476: The entire day cooking an elaborate banquet in honor of the deceased individual, which will then be enjoyed by all the family members. In addition, sticks of incense are burned in honor and commemoration of the deceased person. It is not unusual for a family to celebrate several giỗ per year, so the ceremony serves as a time for families to reunite, much like the Vietnamese new year, Tết . The rituals are

12768-608: The family dead, cleaning and repairing their tombs. Common offerings are prayers, flowers, candles, and even food, while many also spend the remainder of the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the graveyard, playing games and music or singing. Chinese Filipinos , meanwhile, have the most apparent and distinct customs related to ancestor veneration, carried over from traditional Chinese religion and most often melded with their current Catholic faith. Many still burn incense and kim at family tombs and before photos at home, while they incorporate Chinese practises into Masses held during

12901-703: The festival is, ultimately, a celebration of Christ's victory over death . In the Church of England , mother church of the Anglican Communion , it is a Principal Feast and may be celebrated either on 1 November or on the Sunday between 30 October and 5 November. It is also celebrated by other Protestants , such as the United Church of Canada and various Methodist connexions. Protestants generally commemorate all Christians, living and deceased, on All Saints' Day; if they observe All Saints Day at all, they use it to remember all Christians both past and present. In

13034-400: The final service. After the babang luksa , the spouse of the deceased can remarry, and the family can once again hold birthday celebrations and attend parties. The miscellaneous non-valuable belongings of the deceased will also be symbolically burned to represent the mourners being able to move on with their lives. Babang luksa is normally commemorated with a meal and prayers (" padasal ") for

13167-672: The first Sunday after Pentecost . The Syro-Malabar Church and the Chaldean Catholic Church , both of which are in communion with Rome, as well as the Church of the East , celebrate All Saints' Day on the first Friday after Easter Sunday . In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, All Saints' Day is on Nayrouz , celebrated on 11 September. The day is the start of the Coptic new year, and of its first month, Thout . In

13300-468: The form of poe divination , or to confirm whether the ancestors consent on the messages requested by the divinator. In traditional Chinese culture, sacrifices are sometimes made to altars as food for the deceased. This falls under the modes of communication with the Chinese spiritual world concepts . Some of the veneration includes visiting the deceased at their graves, and making or buying offerings for

13433-414: The formality common to their neighbours—despite having been Christianised since coming into contact with Spanish missionaries in 1521. In the present day, ancestor veneration is expressed in having photographs of the dead by the home altar, a common fixture in many Filipino Christian homes. Candles are often kept burning before the photographs, which are sometimes decorated with garlands of fresh sampaguita ,

13566-576: The goal of ancestor veneration is to ensure the ancestors' continued well-being and positive disposition towards the living, and sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance. The social or non-religious function of ancestor veneration is to cultivate kinship values, such as filial piety , family loyalty, and continuity of the family lineage . Ancestor veneration occurs in societies with every degree of social, political, and technological complexity, and it remains an important component of various religious practices in modern times. Ancestor reverence

13699-409: The graves of their loved ones with garlands, flowers, candles as well as incense. During the 20th century the observance largely became a secular one, although some traditional Christian groups have continued to embrace the Christian origins of Halloween whereas others have rejected such celebrations. In English-speaking countries, services often include the singing of the traditional hymn " For All

13832-717: The honor of all saints in their liturgical calendar is one of three Sundays in preparation for Lent called the Sunday of the Righteous and the Just. The following Sunday is the Sunday of the Faithful Departed (similar to All Souls' Day in Western calendar). In East Syriac tradition the All Saints Day celebration falls on the first Friday after resurrection Sunday. This is because all departed faithful are saved by

13965-406: The house, or run off with the family's chickens). Pangángaluluwâ practices are still seen in some rural areas. During Undas, families visit the graves of loved ones. It is believed that by going to the cemetery and offering food, candles, flowers, and sometimes incense, the spirits are remembered and appeased. Contrary to common belief, this visitation practice is not an imported tradition. Prior to

14098-512: The just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world". Some sources say Gregory III dedicated the oratory on 1 November, and this is why the date became All Saints' Day. Other sources say Gregory III held a synod to condemn iconoclasm on 1 November 731, but he dedicated the All Saints oratory on Palm Sunday , 12 April 732. By 800, there is evidence that churches in Gaelic Ireland and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria were holding

14231-673: The later adopted religions of Christianity (as in Nigeria among the Igbo people ), and Islam (among the different Mandé peoples and the Bamum and the Bakossi people) in much of the continent. In orthodox Serer religion , the pangool is venerated by the Serer people . The Seereer people of Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania who adhere to the tenets of A ƭat Roog (Seereer religion) believe in

14364-585: The latter also believes in prayer for departed souls in Purgatory . Other religious groups, however, consider veneration of the dead to be idolatry and a sin . In European , Asian , Oceanian , African and Afro-diasporic cultures (which includes but should be distinguished from multiple cultures and Indigenous populations in the Americas who were never influenced by the African Diaspora),

14497-743: The lights aid the spirits and guide them to the afterlife. 1 November is a fixed date public holiday in Andorra , Austria , Belgium , Benin , Burkina Faso , Burundi , Cape Verde , Central African Republic , Chad , Chile , Colombia , Congo , Croatia , East Timor , France , French Guiana , French Polynesia , Gabon , Guadeloupe , Guatemala , Hungary , Italy , Ivory Coast , Lebanon , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Madagascar , Martinique , Mauritius , Peru , Philippines , Poland , Portugal , Saint Barthélemy , Saint Martin , Saint Pierre and Miquelon , San Marino , Senegal , Seychelles , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Togo ,

14630-678: The lives and deaths of his saints ", including those who are "famous or obscure". As such, individuals throughout the Church Universal are honoured, such as Paul the Apostle , Augustine of Hippo and other saints, varying according to the hagiographic traditions of the Church in question. In some traditions, the day is also used to celebrate individuals who have personally led one to faith in Jesus, such as one's grandmother or friend. The holiday of All Saints' Day falls on 1 November and

14763-442: The living. Conversely, misfortunes are often attributed to ancestors whose memory or wishes have been neglected. The sacrifice of zebu is a traditional method used to appease or honor the ancestors. Small, everyday gestures of respect include throwing the first capful of a newly opened bottle of rum into the northeast corner of the room to give the ancestors their due share. In Egypt, a form of adorcism entwined with veneration of

14896-413: The lover's skeletons of a man between 35 and 40 years old and women in early 20s were found who were likely married to each other and buried together, their grave contained pots which likely carried food and water as offering to the dead. The Paliya memorial stones are associated with ancestral worship in western India. These memorials are worshipped by people of associated community or descendants of

15029-428: The national flower. Ancestors, particularly dead parents, are still regarded as psychopomps, as a dying person is said to be brought to the afterlife ( Tagalog : sundô , "fetch") by the spirits of dead relatives. It is said that when the dying call out the names of deceased loved ones, they can see the spirits of those particular people waiting at the foot of the deathbed. Filipino Catholic and Aglipayan veneration of

15162-577: The offering of the Mass and families visit graveyards through the season of Allhallowtide, especially on All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. In 1955, the All Saints vigil and the octave were suppressed by the Liturgical reforms of Pope Pius XII , though Traditional Catholic communities, such as the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen , continue to observe it. The festival

15295-614: The particular date (as per the Hindu calendar ) when the person had died, the family members repeat this ritual. This period falls just before the Navaratri or Durga Puja falling in the month of Ashvin . Mahalaya marks the end of the fortnight-long tarpana to the ancestors. Indian and Chinese practices of ancestor-worship are prevalent throughout Asia as a result of the large Indian and Chinese populations in countries such as Singapore , Malaysia , Indonesia , and elsewhere across

15428-476: The practice of souling remains popular in Portugal. It is a national holiday in many Christian countries . The Christian celebration of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the " Church triumphant "), the living (the " Church militant "), and the " Church penitent " which includes the faithful departed. In Catholic theology,

15561-535: The presence of God), but like saints, they function as intermediaries with God. In some cases these may be family shrines, which are not frequented by outsiders, but some (usually older shrines) are frequented by many. When asking for aid from one of these spirits, one may often pledge an animal sacrifice upon aid being rendered, which is also done with saints. During Pchum Ben and the Cambodian New Year people make offerings to their ancestors. Pchum Ben

15694-579: The present-day. Congregations of the Church of England , mother Church of the Anglican Communion, host light parties in their fellowship halls on All Hallows Eve. In the Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed traditions of Christianity, All Hallow's Eve is dually celebrated as Reformation Day . During Allhallowtide (especially on All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls Day), it is common for Christians to visit graveyards in order to remember their loved ones; families often pray there and decorate

15827-501: The responsibility of whoever inherits the ancestral estates, typically the deceased's most senior patrilineal descendant. Although a giỗ is usually a private ceremony attended only by family members (and occasionally also close friends), some are commemorated by large segments of the population. The commemoration of the Hùng Kings - who were instrumental in founding the first Vietnamese kingdom in Vietnam's remote past, and of

15960-424: The soul of a person travels (usually by boat) to a spirit world . There can be multiple locations in the spirit world, varying in different ethnic groups. Which place souls end up in depends on how they died, the age at death, or conduct of the person when they were alive. Souls reunite with deceased relatives in the underworld and lead normal lives in the underworld as they did in the material world. In some cases,

16093-432: The souls of evil people undergo penance and cleansing before they are granted entrance into a particular spirit realm. Souls would eventually reincarnate after a period of time in the spirit world. Souls in the spirit world still retain a degree of influence in the material world, and vice versa. Paganito rituals may be used to invoke good ancestor spirits for protection, intercession, or advice. Vengeful spirits of

16226-506: The starting of a new business, or even when a family member needs guidance or counsel and is a hallmark of the emphasis Vietnamese culture places on filial duty. A significant distinguishing feature of Vietnamese ancestor veneration is that women have traditionally been allowed to participate and co-officiate ancestral rites, unlike in Chinese Confucian doctrine, which allows only male descendants to perform such rites. Care of

16359-650: The state or province as these markers serve as potent reminders to drive cautiously in hazardous areas. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is particularly known for the leaving of offerings to the deceased; items left are collected by the National Park Service and archived. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform posthumous baptisms and other rituals for their dead ancestors, along with those of other families. Native Americans were not heavily concerned with

16492-409: The supreme soul, possesses the qualities of a spiritual being and always blesses the family. So every Ahom family in order to worship the dead establish a pillar on the opposite side of the kitchen (Barghar) which is called ‘Damkhuta’ where they worship the dead with various offerings like homemade wine, mah-prasad, rice with various items of meat and fish. Me-Dam-Me-Phi, a ritual centred on commemorating

16625-510: The term worship may not always convey such meaning in the exclusive and narrow context of certain Western European Christian traditions. In that sense the phrase ancestor veneration may but from the limited perspective of certain Western European Christian traditions, convey a more accurate sense of what practitioners, such as the Chinese and other Buddhist-influenced and Confucian-influenced societies, as well as

16758-520: The time that souls need to leave Purgatory and the enter in Paradise . The evening before All Saints'—"All Hallows Eve" or "Hallowe'en"—is unofficially the Catholic day to remember the realities of Hell, to mourn the souls lost to evil, and to remember ways to avoid Hell . It is commonly celebrated in the United States and parts of the United Kingdom in a spirit of light-hearted horror and fear, which

16891-487: The use of coffins, pre-colonial Filipinos were already visiting burial caves throughout the archipelago as confirmed by research conducted by the University of the Philippines . The tradition of atang or hain is also practiced, where food and other offerings are placed at the gravesite. If the family cannot visit, a specific area in the house is set aside for ritual offerings. The present date of Undas, 1 November,

17024-413: The veneration of the pangool (ancient Seereer saints and/or ancestral spirits). There are various types of pangool (singular: fangol ), each with its own means of veneration. Veneration of ancestors is prevalent throughout the island of Madagascar . Approximately half of the country's population of 20 million currently practice traditional religion, which tends to emphasize links between the living and

17157-446: The veneration of the dead, though they were known to bury the dead with clothes and tools as well as occasionally leave food and drink at the gravesite; Pueblo Indians supported a cult of the dead which worshipped or petitioned the dead through ritualistic dances. Islam has a complex and mixed view on the idea of grave shrines and ancestor worship. The graves of many early Islamic figures are holy sites for Muslims, including Ali , and

17290-425: Was derived from the pre-colonial tradition of pangangaluluwa . From káluluwâ ('spirit double'), it was a practice of early Filipinos, swathed in blankets, going from house to house, and singing as they pretended to be the spirits of ancestors. If the owner of the house failed to give biko or rice cakes to the nangángalúluwâ , the "spirits" would play tricks (such as stealing slippers or other objects left outside

17423-447: Was on firm footing. The respect and homage to parents is to return this gracious deed to them in life and after. The shi (尸; "corpse, personator") was a Zhou dynasty (1045–256  BCE ) sacrificial representative of a dead relative. During a shi ceremony, the ancestral spirit supposedly would enter the personator, who would eat and drink sacrificial offerings and convey spiritual messages. Spiritual messages usually were conveyed in

17556-531: Was retained after the Reformation in the liturgical calendars of the Lutheran Churches and the Anglican Church . In the Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden , it assumes a role of general commemoration of the dead. In the Swedish calendar , the observance takes place on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November. In some Lutheran Churches, it is moved to the first Sunday of November. In

17689-551: Was the date of the Roman pagan festival of Lemuria , in which malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated. Some liturgiologists suggest that Lemuria was the origin of All Saints, based on their identical dates and their similar theme of "all the dead". Pope Gregory III (731–741) dedicated an oratory in Old St. Peter's Basilica to the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all

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