Wszystkich Świętych (All Saints Day) // Dzien Zaduszny (All Souls day)

You could always go to one of the protests. Honour those from the past by helping create a brighter future.

I went to the cemetery this morning - quite a lot of people but easy to keep a safe distance

Probably the family gatherings afterwards are more of an issue

You could make a little ceremony in your home, set up an altar with flowers, a candle for each deceased loved one, a photo if you have one or something that represents them, gather and say a prayer together. In Ireland of course, Hallowe'en is the more important festival and that won't be happening this year in the usual way, also a break with ancient tradition.

I've been asking my parents to stay home for All Saints Day for some time now. As much as I am gonna miss this tradition, I believe it's necessary to stay home this year.

I will say my prayers at home this year. I hope to light a candle by our church this year.

Sadly it makes sense this year.

A priest in certain small village renamed the cemetery into a Cemetery Park and opened it for the holiday

In Przemyśl, all municipal cemeteries are open to all. The reason - a lot of funerals.

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This year cemeteries in Poland weren`t lit with thousands of lanterns like every year- the government closed them all

However, they announced it on the last day before the holiday, taking visitors and traders by surprise. Instead of putting the flowers and lanterns on graves, people put them before ruling party contact offices and headquarters in towns and cities.

Slogans on banners - the last farewell

Excellent initiative.

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I am so old but every year I run into sth new. Today I spotted a patriotic lantern to put on historic graves, e.g., at WW2 execution sites. Great.

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This then is dífferent from Halloween.

Extremely so.

European holidays are often divided into a somber part (advent, lent) and a happier, fun part (christmas, easter).

With the late october/early november holiday Poland kept the somber part while the US kept the fun part.

Thanks.

This year (last night even), I went to Maria Dąbrowska's and Władysław Reymont's graves, then walked to the other Powązazki cemetary to remember a friend who's there. The atmosphere is always very special, especially at Stare Powązki.

This is how some in Poland (Romani people) celebrate the festival. Dom Vasyl is a well-known traditional musician: The pictures are from the cemetery in Ciechocinek.

wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/1-listopada-biesiada-na-cmentarzu-tak-romowie-obchodza-wszystkich-swietych

your link doesn't work, try this

wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/1-listopada-biesiada-na-cmentarzu-tak-romowie-obchodza-wszystkich-swietych/pmdv38k

Thanks.

There was music at Stare Powązki too, though very solemn and just a violin.

All Saints` Day celebration also for Ukrainians:

In two Poznań city cemeteries - in Miłostowo and Junikowo - they put boulders with the Ukrainian colours. The citizens of Ukraine can symbolically lay a candle there for their deceased relatives, and the rest of Poznań residents can celebrate the victims of the war beyond our eastern border.

- All Saints' Day is very important for Poles. We place flowers and candles on the graves as an expression of our memory of those who have passed away. However , many Ukrainian citizens who came to Poznań after the war broke out do not have such a possibility. That is why we have created a place where they can, at least symbolically light a candle, put a bunch of flowers, stand in silence and reflection- emphasized the president of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak.

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Today is Reformations Day. It is a day off in our part of Germany. My family come yesterday back from Zürich. Today we can celebrate a Birthday in a family. White Porto by Offley is a good choice. Chilled in a small glass with 4 lemon drops, super good. You can slowly sip it in the afternoon.

One more thing. White port is not really white. It is amber in color.

The media reminisce about known people who have died in the last year - primarily Polish but foreign too.

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Never before did I witness a mass service in the cemetery on 1 Nov. My wife claims it is normal. Amasing!

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Sweets are a tradition on 1 Nov

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Indeed, and delicious.

What can you see?

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The weather is usually pleasant on 1 Nov. The Goddess makes it easier for Poles to celebrate their holiday. At night, the moon lit graves together with lanterns.

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You can easily buy lanterns at stalls in front of cemeteries. The second pic shows sth I saw only in the countryside - traditional flowery wicker wreaths to hang on traditional metal crosses. That was a popular custom decades ago when lanterns weren`t in such wide use as today.

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The past events like WW2 are still remembered in Polish cemeteries.

Here, a monument to:
30 inhabitants of the village of Liszki murdered by Germans during the pacification on 4 July 1943.
There are hundreds monuments like that in Poland.

The inscription next to the symbol of Fighting Poland reads:

"Passer-by, tell the Motherland that those faithful to its laws rest here"

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It is amasing that the inscription on the plaque was changed. A few years ago the old plaque fell off the monument and broke - it read hitlerites, not Germans. They changed it into Germans on the new one.

Do you know why?

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Still unsolved riddles in post 82 and 86


A village which has one of the most monumental churches in the area:

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Lantern dispenser:

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This riddle in post 82 is 1 year old. Amasing.