Here at The Little Rose Shop, we try to keep things as accessible and easy to incorporate liturgical living into everyday family life as possible.
A great opportunity is coming our way to celebrate the beautiful observance of All Saints Day.
A quick point of clarification:
All Saints day is the observance of all the souls who have reached the beatific vision in heaven. This is observed on November 1st and is a Holy Day of Obligation, meaning, get yourself to Mass!
All Souls Day, frequently confused with All Saints, is a day of prayer and fasting for the souls in Purgatory. It is a privilege and a gift of the Church Militant, those of us still on Earth, to pray and fast for the souls receiving their final cleansing in Purgatory. This is celebrated on November 2nd and it is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation.
This post will focus on easy and fun ways to celebrate All Saints Day. This year it is celebrated on Wednesday, November 1st of 2023.
Let's get into it!
1. Go to Mass!
2. Host an All Saints Day celebration. Dress up as your favorite saint, add some tunes, decorate using our fun… and tasty treats and you have yourself a party! Check out The Little Rose Shop Freebie Vault for a FREE party bundle!
3. Make a list of your family’s Holy Helpers. Tape it on the fridge or near the table so you can call upon your family’s saints’ intercession. This comes from the tradition of the 14 Holy Helpers who were a group of Saints called upon during the Black Death in the 1300s. While we are not facing the Plague, we are facing a culture of death… what better way to invoke the light of the saints by curating a list of heavenly helpers just for your family!
4. Read stories of the saints at bedtime. Any story will do but stories with pictures showing the wide range of ages, life stages, and gifts of the saints is all the better. We love these ones for Girls and Boys.
After all, the universal call to holiness is for us all!
What a gift the Church gives us with All Saints Day. Celebrating the vastly different and greatly important lives of the men and women on earth who served God gives us examples and inspiration for ourselves and our journey to sainthood.
Happy All Saints Day!