Public Holiday: All Saints - Dates and origin

The public holiday for All Saints is celebrated in Colombia on the first Monday counted from November 1. This religious festival remembers all the saints, the unknown and those recognized in the saints of the Catholic Church.

In the Roman Martyrology, the Catholic Church recognizes more than 7,000 saints, but only a few are celebrated with a special feast. For this reason, almost from its beginnings, the church decided to dedicate a day to do justice to all the saints.

The celebration began with Gregory III (731-741), who instituted the first of November as the festival and dedicated one of the chapels of Saint Peter's Basilica to all the saints. Later, Gregory IV proclaimed the feast for the entire universal church.

On this day the church remembers the life of San Juan and also for that of San Pancracio, San Sergio and Santa Teresita; and to everyone who today wants to follow Jesus as a model of life.

All Saints Day precedes All Souls Day.