On November 1 we celebrate All Saints’ Day, the day after All Souls’ Day. We remember the dead, go to the cemetery and light candles on the graves. This tradition has its roots in pre-Christian times. In the past, Dziady was celebrated from the night of October 31 to November 1it was then that attempts were made to establish contact with people who had passed away. It was believed that on this night the line between the world of the living and the dead was the thinnest.
Dziady had a role in many aspects of life, for example in literature. Adam Mickiewicz created one of the most popular works based on this holiday. They are also reflected in current Christian rituals – In the past, candles were lit to illuminate the path of the dead. Nowadays, it is no longer practiced, but placing candles on graves comes from this tradition.
Interestingly, rituals could not be performed at night. A few centuries ago (in Christian and Orthodox culture), in many regions people avoided entering the church at night, because then the priest was supposed to perform rituals to help the deceased pass to their land. The appearance of living people in the church could bring a lot of bad luck to them.
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In addition, there are a lot of superstitions related to All Saints, one of them is avoiding most housework. This comes from the fact that weaving, sweeping or even trampling cabbage could offend the dead, so on this day most people rested or prepared the house. Interestingly, cooking was advisable and was not among the “forbidden household chores”, on the contrary, it was necessary to prepare a hearty meal to delight the souls and people who remember them.
Interestingly, there was one thing you weren’t allowed to do in the kitchen – “patting” butter or making it was a bad omenin the past, most homes prepared this ingredient themselves, but during the Forefathers’ Eve period it was inadvisable, but there are no sources clearly indicating why this particular activity was somehow forbidden.
On All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, you should not embroider or sew — this especially concerned pregnant women, as it was believed that these activities could have a negative impact on the baby. However, we must remember that these are just superstitions and should be treated with a pinch of salt.
