Allerheiligen or 'All Saints' Day

Allerheiligen or All Saints Day, is one of the most important Christian celebrations in Germany held annually on the day after Halloween or ‘All Hallows Eve’ on November 1st. It dates back to the 700s when then Pope Gregory fixed the date to remember all Saints (known and unknown).  Today people honor the saints and those that are no longer with us on this day. 

Allerheiligen is a public holiday in five regions: Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.  On this day, many attend church services and also decorate the gravesites of their loved ones that have passed.  They are beautifully decorated with candles and fall foliage. 

It has also been called Allerseelen or Allerzielen Day, both meaning ‘All Souls’