All Saints’ Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1st.
Although millions, or even billions of people may already be saints, All Saints’ Day observances tend to focus on known saints –that is those recognized in the canon of the saints by the Catholic Church.
The holy day was established on November 1 by Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century as a day dedicated to the saints and their relics.
In other countries, such as Portugal, Spain and Mexico, traditional practices include performance of the play, “Don Juan Tenorio” and offerings made to the dead. All Saints’ Say occurs on the same day as the Mexican “Dide los Innocentes” a day dedicated to deceased children. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead holy days extend from October 31 through November 2.
Across much of Europe, the day is commemorated with offerings of flowers left on the graves of the dead. In Eastern Europe, candles are lit on graves instead of offerings of flowers.
In some places, such as the Philippines, graves can be painted and repaired by family members. Many of these practices blur the distinction between All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. ~ Catholic Online