All Hallows Eve and
All Saints Day
November 1st marks the Festival of All Saints (or All Saints' Day); on that day we remember with thanksgiving those who have lived and died in the faith. This festival day directs our attention to the richness of Christian history and the varied experiences of the grace of God by lifting up the lives of the saints. They are the sign of our hope and an image of the glory we shall inherit.
The word "saint" originates from the Latin word sanctus, which means "holy". Since God declares all who have been baptized and who believe the promise of the gospel to be holy, the communion of saints includes all believers on earth and those who died in faith and who are now living in heaven.
Most Lutheran churches use the first Sunday in November to remember all the saints in the Church of Christ Jesus, especially those members and friends of the local congregation who have been called to Heaven in the previous year.
The custom of commemorating all the martyrs of the Church on a single day goes back at least to the third century. All Saints' Day celebrates not only the martyrs and saints, but all the people of God, living and dead, who together form the mystical body of Christ.
In Europe, All Saints' Day is also called All Hallow's Day ('hallowed' means 'sanctified' or 'holy'). October 31st, the evening before All Saint's Day is named All Hallow's Eve, which was contracted to Halloween.
Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness. However, it is possible to celebrate this event with friends and family while keeping a perspective on its religious significance, in the same way a Christian can participate in gift-giving during Christmas while remembering that day as a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savour, Christ Jesus.
Adapted from materials contained in Liturgy for All Saints Day by Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
“For all the Saints who from their labors rest,
All who by faith before the world confessed,
Your name O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Hymn #174, Lutheran Book of Worship