The early Christian community celebrated the dates on which members of their community had been martyred (kind of like a birthday celebration for those entering Heaven). Because martyrs (and all saints) were thought to share in the beatific vision in Heaven (the goal for all Christians), the community commemorated their deaths and re-told the story of their lives as inspiration for current believers.
This practice became a problem as more and more Christians were martyred because there were only a limited number of days in the year. So, lest anyone be forgotten, the majority of the feasts were lumped into one day and celebrated together. Only the feast days of the more famous saints were kept separate and sprinkled throughout the year to maintain their inspirational quality.
2,000 years after the founding of the Christian Church, we are lucky to have All Saints Day to remind ourselves of the many many (I like to think BILLIONS) of men and women who have joined Christ in Heaven. The only downside is that having all of the minor feasts on one day makes it easier to think that "Saints" are only the famous people who we celebrate separately... we forget that saints enter Heaven by the thousands every day, and just like the stories of St. Francis and St. Catherine, the stories of these common saints can, and do, inspire our faith.
In the Eastern Christian Churches the Feast of All Saints is commonly celebrated on the Suday after Pentecost. In Western Christianity this feast is most commonly celebrated on November 1 (hence celedrating Halloween the day before).
Take time this All Saints Day to remember all of the Saints in Heaven that you had the privledge of knowing while they were here on earth. Some of the saints that I will be honoring include: St. Dolores (my grandmother who passed in July), St. Tiffany (my neighbor, mother of four, who passed away from breast cancer), and St. Miro (the father of a close friend).
Peace be with all of you!
Don't worry, Heaven is immune to overcrowding.
