All Saints' Day in Poland

All Saints' Day in Poland is celebrated on the 1 of November. Because it is a non-working day, many people spend it going to cemeteries and, in general, commemorating their beloved ones who passed away. There is an universal practice consisting in lighting candles on graves, which, accordingly to what is said, are to bring relief to the dead. The festivity is strongly connected with Christian faith and was first introduced to honor every Christian that reached the state of salvation. The date is followed by the All souls' day. In accordance to the teachings of the Catolic Church, on the 2 of November we should commemorate all the deceased ones, reserving the 1st of November only for those who have been canonized. However, not many follow this rule and it has became very common to dedicate All Saints' Day to all people who passed away.

Without any doubt, dedicating those two days to the dead is a noble concept but for many it is an only time in which they recall their relatives and friends who died. Many treat it as an obligation to light a candle on a grave and forget the real meaning of this festivity. In fact, we should keep the memory of our beloved ones who passed away live in our hearts also during the rest of the year as, despite the fact of being dead, they continue to influence on who we are today.