WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MEANING OF ALL SAINTS’ DAY IN FRANCE?
Every year, All Saints’ Day in France, on November 1st, turns the nation into a place of respect and recollection. This traditional festival is particularly significant in French culture since it combines serious introspection with vibrant customs passed down through the years. All Saints’ Day is a time in France when faith and history unite to create a stunning fabric of traditions and beliefs. Activities include visiting colourful tombs and enjoying delectable foods that symbolize the day.
Come along as we explore the meaning of All Saints’ Day and learn why it still holds such a special place in the hearts of French people.
What is All Saints’ Day in France?
Known as La Toussaint in France, All Saints Day is a major celebration honouring all the saints and sacrifices of the Catholic Church. Every year on November 1st, French people observe this day to honour and remember their departed loved ones. Going to graves and painting graves with chrysanthemums—the traditional mourning flower—is one of France’s distinctive traditions on All Saints Day.
In France, All Saints Day has cultural significance as well. The start of the Toussaint holidays gives families a chance to get together and celebrate with special meals and treats.
What is All Saints’ Day called in France?
In France, All Saints Day is known as La Toussaint. This is a significant holiday in the country, where people honour and remember their deceased loved ones. Families visit cemeteries, clean and decorate graves with flowers, and light candles in remembrance of the departed souls.
The early Christian communities, especially the Roman Catholic Church, are where All Saints’ Day first developed. As early as the fourth century, all saints were celebrated.
Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in the seventh century as a temple to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs.
Pope Gregory IV declared November 1st All Saints’ Day in 837, ensuring celebrations across the Western Christian world.
The British celebration of Samhain, which celebrated the end of summer, might have impacted the decision to celebrate on November 1st.
It was thought that during the festival, the line separating the living from the dead became less distinct.
FACT OR FICTION?
The church could have purposefully timed All Saints’ Day to offer a Christian substitute in an attempt to Christianize heathen customs.
What about the origin of the first Toussaint celebration in France?
Early 19th-century emigrants from Haiti who were fleeing the revolution in their nation introduced the first Toussaint celebrations to France. These immigrants carried the vibrant and complex customs of Toussaint, a Haitian celebration honouring relatives and departed loved ones.
The festival in France developed by combining elements of Haitian culture with regional traditions, resulting in a distinctive and colourful celebration welcomed by numerous towns nationwide.
What is the significance of Chrysanthemums on All Saints’ Day in France?
Chrysanthemums are especially meaningful on All Saints Day in France since they are considered symbols of respecting and remembering the departed. During this time, colourful flowers are often placed on tombs and graves, representing love, respect, and remembering loved ones who have departed. Visiting graves on All Saints Day to honour the deceased became usual in the early 1900s when this tradition originated.
The chrysanthemum, or La chrysanthème, is a flower that blooms exclusively in the fall and is associated with death and grief in French culture.
The Potato Harvest Time and All Saints’ Day
Families used to work together to bring in the produce during the potato harvest, which occurs around All Saints’ Day. All hands on deck meant that the kids had to skip school to assist with potato harvesting.
Therefore, the French government instituted the two-week potato vacations between the last week of October and the first week of November to prevent them from skipping school.
They are still observed by French students today and are now called Toussaint holidays.
Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day
Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day are three distinct holidays that combine the paranormal and the spiritual. Halloween has significant origins in old Celtic customs like Samhain, a holiday celebrating the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, even though it is most commonly associated with costumes and candy. On November 1st, All Saints Day is observed to celebrate all saints, both well-known and little-known, in Christian tradition. Remembering their commitment and selflessness reminds us of our capacity for morality and kindness.
In France, November 1st is a public holiday known as All Saints’ Day. However, what about November 2nd, All Souls’ Day?
Alright, while All Saints’ Day honours all saints, All Souls’ Day pays particular tribute to the truly departed, those who are said to be in purgatory and awaiting purification before entering heaven.
Known as “Le Jour des Morts” (the Day of the Dead), it aims to raise awareness of the collective duty of the living to support the spiritual ascension of the deceased.
It was thought that prayers, particularly the Mass offered, would help souls in prison with their cleansing process, thus speeding up their journey to heaven.
What happens on All Saints’ Day in France?
On All Saints Day, brilliant chrysanthemums fill the streets in France as people visit graves in remembrance of their deceased loved ones. In a sad yet lovely tradition, families gather to clean and decorate graves, burn candles, and place flowers. The French honour those who have departed on this day of contemplation and memory.
In France, death maintenance falls under the family’s responsibility. Furthermore, tombs rather than graves are frequently utilized for disposal in French graveyards, as anyone who has seen one would attest. They’ve always looked to me like tiny dwellings.
Many French people attend special masses honouring Catholic saints, such as All Saints Masses. Churches light candles, ring their bells and offer prayers.
Public memorial services are held in many cities and villages to honour the lives of the departed.
This could involve wreath-laying ceremonies, processions, or other kinds of group memorials.
What to do on All Saints’ Day in Paris?
If you happen to be in Paris, you can do a few activities to commemorate All Saints’ Day, including some amazing ghost tours.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
I know strolling around a cemetery might not sound like a fun day out, but trust me on this one. Not just any old cemetery, Père Lachaise Cemetery is the most well-known in Paris and is where the famous people go to be buried.
I’m talking about Delacroix, Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, Jim Morrison, and Edith Piaf, to name just a few.
I recommend having a 2-hour Private Tour because the location is large, and it’s easy to get lost and not see all you want to.
The Paris Catacombs
The only sound in the strange quiet of the Paris Catacombs’ underground passages is the soft patter of careful shoes on centuries-old bones. The sheer size of this ossuary fills you with fear and wonder as you make your way through the maze-like passageways. Skulls and femurs are carefully piled along the walls, creating a morbid yet strangely beautiful display that acts as a dark symbol of human mortality.
It all began in the 18th century when graves ran out of space, affecting people’s health.
To counter this, the 200-mile or so tunnels beneath Paris are known as the Catacombs.
Seeing it for yourself, appreciating it to the fullest, and learning about all the legends around it is quite the sight.
Other French Traditions and Holidays
If you prefer adventure and intrigue, you’ll appreciate reading these more pieces, as France is a country rich in tradition.
- How the French celebrate Halloween
- The French obsession with Food and the Festivals that celebrate food
- Why the French don’t call it Bastille Day
- The day when the French celebrate Garlic
- The tradition of Galette des Rois
- Easter in France with 6 different traditions
- How the French celebrate Valentine’s Day
FAQS: What happens on All Saints’ Day in France
Is All Saints’ Day a day off in France?
In France, All Saints Day, or La Toussaint, is a public holiday on November 1st every year. On this day, the French honour and remember their deceased loved ones by visiting cemeteries and laying flowers on graves.
Are stores closed on All Saints’ Day in France?
In France, some stores will close on All Saints’ Day, while others will switch to Sunday hours.
Are restaurants open on All Saints’ Day in France?
Yes, on All Saints’ Day in France, many restaurants will open. However, you’ll discover that many restaurants close early in the more rural areas that are most distant from the major cities.
Where do families go during All Saints’ Day in France?
On All Saints’ Day, many families attend a special celebration in France. Next, they visit the family graveyard to give the graves some TLC and to lay flowers, generally chrysanthemums, on them.
Are things closed in Paris on All Saints’ Day?
November 1st is All Saints Day, a major Catholic feast celebrated as La Toussaint in France. Although it’s not a recognized public holiday in France, many stores and companies might close on this day in observance. These include banks, government offices, and a few restaurants and shops.
FINAL THOUGHTS: All Saints’ Day in France
With a Catholic majority, the nation has a long history of religious holidays and celebrations. Every year on November 1st, All Saints’ Day is a holy day of obligation observed worldwide.