While nine of the sixteen states of Germany were off for Reformation Day on October 31, the more Catholic states get their turn a day later on November 1 for Allerheiligen or All Saints’ Day. If Reformation Day or All Saints’ Day fall on a Sunday, when there’s no school and almost everybody is off anyway, you don’t get a different day off to make up for it.
In the U.S. you often have an observed holiday when the actual holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday but that is not the case in Germany.
And if you live in Berlin or Hesse, you are even more out of luck because neither Reformationstag nor Allerheiligen are official holidays there.
But what exactly is Allerheiligen? Is it the same as Allerseelen or All Souls’ Day? Are there specific traditions connected with these holidays? Let’s take a look.
For text in German and English, click here.
All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
First off, Allerheiligen or All Saints’ Day is on November 1st while Allerseelen or All Souls Day is November 2nd. However, the two holidays, because of the temporal proximity, are often celebrated together. Allerheiligen is a public holiday in the Catholic states and countries while Allerseelen is a church holiday but not a public one.
All Saints' Day or Allerheiligen
All Saints’ Day like the name suggests is a day for all saints. It started out as a remembrance day for martyrs but in the 8th century under Gregory III it came to include saints. Throughout history Christianity acquired many saints and it became difficult to keep track of all their feast days. A holiday to include all saints seemed appropriate. Today however, it is mostly a day when Catholics think of all their dead.
All Saints’ Day also wasn’t always celebrated on November 1. In the 4th century the Friday after Pentecost was declared the day to remember the martyrs who died for their faith.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary and all martyrs. He also moved the holiday to the Sunday after Easter to strengthen the connection between the Easter miracle and the martyrs.
In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III dedicated the chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica to all saints and he moved the holiday to November 1. This new date at first only applied to Rome but quickly spread through the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. This is the first time we see saints included and the holiday taking place in November.
Pope Gregory IV made November 1 an official church holiday in the Western or Roman Catholic Church, and it has been ever since.
For the lyrics in German and English, click here.
All Souls' Day or Allerseelen
Allerseelen (All Souls’ Day) is also a church holiday but unlike Allerheiligen it is not a public holiday.
On the 2nd of November people pray for their dead loved ones and the “poor souls” in purgatory. It is similar to the Saturday of Souls in the Eastern Orthodox or Byzantine Church.
Until the 10th century, All Souls’ Day or a day when people remembered and prayed for the dead was celebrated during the Easter season. But the date varied from region to region.
Traditions around All Saints' and All Souls' Day
Are you wondering why I’m addressing the traditions of both holidays together? As I said before, because both days are so close together and overlap in their theme, the traditions also started to be mixed.
Some rituals that are more fitting for All Souls’ Day take place on All Saints’ Day because that is the official holiday where most people are off. It is easier to attend a church service on your off day than on a day where you have to go to work or school.
Since most cemeteries in Germany are right next to the church, the attendants could easily visit the graves of their relatives after mass. Traditionally, people would put up new decorations for the grave site like wreaths or flower arrangements that would last throughout the winter. They covered any plants on the grave the evergreen branches symbolizing eternal life and protecting the plants. (German cemeteries often resemble little parks with lots of trees and shrubs. They have a very tranquil atmosphere that inspires contemplation.)
Sometimes the priest would also bless the graves which was also easier right after a service on Allerheiligen.
The custom of placing candles or lanterns (eternal lights) by a grave has multiple explanations. A light or candle has always been a symbol of God and indicates his presence. But we also light candles in remembrance which is what All Souls’ Day is all about.
However, it is also said that the veil between the living and dead is thin during the night of November 1. During the evening of All Saints’ Day the poor souls come up from purgatory to rest from torture. The light is intended for their warmth or for them to find their way back.
(If you read about Halloween, it is the night of October 31. That night, on All Hallows’ Eve, all the evil creatures come out and try to get us and our souls. We dress like them so they can’t tell that we are human.)
Allerheiligenstriezel
A special bread or pastry is baked for All Saints’ Day and it goes many different names: Allerheiligenstriezel (with varying spellings), Allerheiligenwecken, Allerheiligenzopf, or Seelenzopf.
You make a dough from flour, sugar, fat, yeast, and an egg, and form it into a Zopf (braid) before baking it. You can add raisins to it, and sprinkle it with coarse sugar or almonds. Originally, this bread or braid was given to children and the poor who in turn said a prayer for the dead (Vergelt’s Gott für die armen Seelen).
Today, godparents give their godchildren Striezel on Allerheiligen. Though, as with many customs, there is a lot of regional variance.
When you read about All Saints’ or All Souls’ Day you often come across the explanation that a braided bread is made because women used to cut off their braided hair as a sign of grief when their husbands died. The braid was then buried with the man. Over time, however, the hair was replaced with a doughy braid.
The connection between a cut off braid as a symbol of grief and a holiday commemorating the dead is obvious, but that doesn’t mean it’s there.
For one, braided bread is also baked for other occasions like Easter or, in Switzerland, Sundays. And two, there seems to be a inclination to ascribe Christian explanation to customs or traditions.
Throughout time and history we see a mixture and overlapping of pagan and Christian traditions. Often pagan rituals and festivals were appropriated by Christians and over time became Christian holidays. Many of our religious celebrations have a pagan component.
When I was researching the history of the pretzel, I ran into similar stories. The pretzel form was invented by a monk because it reminded him of children praying, the pretzel was used as a host during communion and came from the Roman round prayer bread, the three openings of a pretzel represent the Holy Trinity. But maybe it was an innovative baker who braided the bread or who came up with the pretzel form.
My Allerheiligenstriezel
Not being Catholic or having grown up in a Catholic region, I never knew about the special pastry that people in Southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland make on Allerheiligen.
But I like baking and bread, so I found a recipe and baked my very first Allerheiligenstriezel. It turned out really well if I do say so myself.
I used this recipe on GuteKueche.at and while my Striezel might have lost its braid form, it tasted really good with some butter. I think I’ll try it with jam tomorrow for breakfast. I didn’t add any raisins and, since my husband doesn’t like egg wash, I brushed my Striezel with milk instead.
Bauernregeln (Folk Saying or Weather Proverb)
The following “farmer’s rules or wisdoms” don’t exactly have an equivalent in English. The translation are mine and it’s not meant to rhyme.
- Allerheiligen mit Sonnenschein lässt Martini kälter sein.
- All Saints’ Day with sunshine makes St. Martin’s Day (11/11) colder.
- Allerheiligen und Eis machen Weihnacht weiß.
- All Saints’ Day and ice/frost make a white Christmas.
- Bricht Allerheiligen der Winter ein, so herrscht Martini Sonnenschein.
- If All Saints’ Day is like winter there will be sunshine on St. Martin’s Day.
There are many, many weather or farmer’s rules about November. You can read them here but they are in German.
I only found one English weather proverb that references All Saints’ Day:
- On first November if weather is clear, Tis the end of the sowing you’ll do for the year.
- Allerheiligenstriezel
- Allerheiligen
- Wiki - Allerheiligen
- Wiki - Allerseelen
- Kirschgruber: Von Sonnwend bis Rauhnacht, 2015.
