All Saints’ Day – November 5, 2023

Trinity United Methodist Church, All Saints’ Day is sponsored by the church’s Memorial Ministry, and this year (November 5, 2023) will include not only a service of remembrance for our member and friend saints but also a consecration and dedication of memorial and honor gifts from November 6, 2022, through November 5, 2023.

A special coffee hour sponsored by Memorial Ministry will follow the regularly scheduled (9:30 a.m.) Sunday service. Please mark your calendars, and plan to join us for this very important day in the life of our church.

All Saints’ Day – a Brief History

Scholars have noted that the concept of All Saints’ Day dates back to the fourth century when Greek Christians kept a festival on the first Sunday after Pentecost (late May or early June) in honor of all martyrs and saints. Pope Gregory IV made All Saints’ Day an authorized holiday in 837 CE. It is speculated that the chosen date for the event, November 1, may have been an attempt to supplant the pagan Festival of the Dead (also known as Samhain or the feast of Saman, Lord of Death).

Today, All Saints’ Day is celebrated globally and in many areas of the United States with its original roots in Roman Catholic populations. Traditionally, the day is marked with the laying of wreaths and bouquets on even the most obscure graves and the lighting of remembrance candles as darkness falls. Many Latin American populations link All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2, in celebrations called the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos.

In the United Methodist Church, All Saints’ Day is observed on the first Sunday in November to remember deceased members of the local church congregation. The service is often marked with responsive liturgy, prayers, and candle lighting. The liturgical color for All Saints’ Day is white and common visual symbols include a sheaf of wheat and a crown.