Buongiorno a tutti!
All Saints Day is 1st November , and is celebrated by Christians all over the world. All Saints Day traditionally honors all those who have died for the church. Many individual saints have their own feast days on the calendar throughout the year, but November 1 honors all of them collectively. Not only that, if you don’t share your name with one of the saints, then November 1 becomes your feast day as well. We call it Onomastico. Mine for example is on 30th March. St Amedeo.
In Italy, if you have the same name as a saint, then their feast day is also a special day for you. You don’t get a day off, but you may get gifts or good wishes from family and friends. This is called your “onomastico,” or your “name day.” If your name isn’t that of one of the saints, then November 1 is your “onomastico” – any excuse to party we say!
“All Saints Day” is called “Ognissanti” in Italian, and it’s a national holiday in Italy. Many people will go to mass at the church, and most businesses are closed for the day.
All Souls Day is November 2. This is another holiday marked around the globe, although more by Catholics than other Christian religions. On November 2, the focus shifts from those who are already saints to those who have died but haven’t yet been “purified.” These people are referred to as the “faithful departed,” and devout families will mark All Souls Day by tending to their loved ones’ graves, praying that their souls reach heaven.
In Italian, November 2 is called “Il Giorno dei Morti,” or “The Day of the Dead,” which is a common name for the day in other parts of the world as well. This is another day typically spent with family, as trips to the cemetery to clean off and re-decorate family graves and tombs are a group effort.
There are sometimes church services on All Souls Day as well, and some businesses may still be closed for the day, although November 2 isn’t a national holiday in Italy.
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About Learn Italian Manchester: My name is Amedea and I’m a native Italian tutor with a real passion for my language. I run Italian classes in Manchester which are sociable, fun and designed to teach you Italian you will really use. As well as Italian courses in Manchester I teach 1 to 1 Italian lessons and cover areas including Manchester City Centre,Didsbury, Chorlton, Sale, Altrincham, Hale, Woodford, Bramhall and others. If you would like to do something new, learn to speak Italian and make new friends along the way! Contact me at: hello@learnitalianmanchester.