The conversion of the pagan gods

Geoffrey Humphrys on the origins of the observance of All Saints and All Souls he festival of All Saints originated in the 7th century, when the Pantheon in Rome, dedicated to the Roman pagan gods, was converted into a Christian place of worship. The building thus became a church and was dedicated by Pope Boniface IV to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. The anniversary of this event first took place. on May I, but the day was subsequently altered to November 1, which was thenceforth, under the dedication of the Feast of all Saints, set apart as a general commemoration in their honour.
Originally, this date for the feast coincided with the pagan festival of Samain (summer's end). Rather than change the date of an established custom, the early Christians adopted the day of festivity by honouring it as holy and converting it to a festival of remembrance, offering special prayers for people who had died.
However, Hallowe'en on October 31 up to midnight is regarded as a time of fear because of the belief that witches, wizards, warlocks, hobgoblins and other evil spirits were able to muster extra powers to carry out various kinds of unholy practices to cause hurt and distress.
But immediately after midnight, All Saints' Day began and the wrongdoers were banished, their powers no longer effective. So for hundreds of years November 1 has been a special day when the church remembers the holy men and women who have become saints.
Hallowe'en today is quite different, more of a fun night, featuring such things as lighted candles in carved-out pumpkins and pictures of witches on broomsticks. Fortunately, fear of spooky spirits, black magic and witchcraft no longer exists, although distressing examples of them do sometimes still occur. We have benefited from Catholic teaching and the realisation that the love of almighty God is stronger than all other powers.
During the year, many days are set aside as feast days for particular saints. Some are well known, like Saint Valentine's Day on February 14, and Saint George, Saint David, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick; the patron saints of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland,with their feast days on April 23, March 1, November30 and March 17 respectively.
There are many people who might be regarded as saints, apart from those who are called saints. The saints with the same religious calendar feast days each year, are the men and women who have been 'canonised' by different Popes over the centuries. Their names are then added to a special list of sanctified persons, in recognition of them trying to follow in the footsteps of Our Lord Jesus Christ in caring for others, and devoting much of their lives to the service of almighty God, often at great personal cost and sometimes considerable danger to themselves.
It is difficult to trace how many people have been made saints, as almost of the year is the feast day of one or more of them.
Most we know very little about other than their names, unless we make a special attempt to research the details of their lives. There are numerous books about Christians who have become saints, especially the 4,500 listed by the Catholic church, but there are many others besides.
This is why we continue to observe November 1 as All Saints' Day, to remember and pray for all saints, whether they have there own special feast day or not.
All Saints' Day is followed on November 2 by All Souls' Day. This is the festival celebrated by the Catholic Church on behalf of the souls in purgatory, for whose release the prayers of the faithful are this day offered up and Masses said for then). According to ancient records, it was introduced in the 9th century by Oilon, Abbot of Cluny, but not generally established until the end of the 10th century.
On November 1 the Church remembers all saints, some with names that will never be forgotten, but on the following day, November 2, the Church remembers all those who have never been counted as saints, the million of men and women of every nation who have died and been forgotten by us, but are remembered by Almighty God.
At one time, on All Souls' Day, church bells started ringing out at dawn and continued to do so all day as special prayers were offered for the departed souls in purgatory. Henry VIII put a stop to the bell-ringing customs calling them "superstitious practices". Evidently in the 1630s the churchwardens at York were asked "whether there be any within your parish or chapel that used the bells to ring out superstitiously upon any abrogated holiday or the eves thereof?" They were duly punished if found guilty.
The custom of "souling", that is, begging for specially made cakes for the souls of the dead, was also at one time widely practised. Originally these so-called soul cakes were sent to relatives and friends of deceased persons. The cakes were flat, round, a biscuit-like shape made from a light spiced mixture.
There is no evidence of them being used in recent times, but Masses for All Saints; and All Souls' Day still feature prominently in the Catholic religious calendar, the former being a Holy Day of Obligation.