The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-11-01
ALL SAINTS AND
ALL SOULS
DAYS
Local Churches win Conduct
Special Services Both Days
to be Celebrated.

To-day is All Saints Day, testlVal
which VIII be observed in the Roman
Catholic and Epioopal churches in
nearly every city in the void. Here
ia Pensacola special services wiz be
held at the churches. and viii no doubt
be largely attended.
All Saints Day is known under
many different names. In the old En-
glish Il was called All Hallows, All
Hallowmas. OF simply Hallowmas II
is distinctly a church festival and was
introduced because Of the impossible
ity OF observing a separate day for
each of the departed saints. It came
into general Observance early in the
history of the Christian Church. ap-
pearing first in the Greek. church
In this division of the church the
observance of lie festival appears as
early as the fourth century. immedi-
ately after. the cessation Of the perse-
lcution. AT that time the first Sunday
after Easter was appointed by the
Greek Church for revering the memo
ries of the martyrs generally. In the
Church of Rome a similar festival was
introduced in $40. AT that time the old
neurological Pantheon che present
Rotunda or Santa Maria del Meriri),
was consecrated. the ceremonies tax
4 ing place on March 49,
Festival Of All Saints Day.
The real festival of An Saints Day,
however, was first regularly instituted
by Pope Gregory ~ on Nov. T. $50.
f The exact reasons for fixing upon that
day are not known. but it was doubt
less due to the tact chat Nov. j, or,
rather the eve preceding it. was one of
the four great festivals of the heather
nations OF the North. These festivals
were held on the first OF November,
. February. May and August.
Al curious commingling of the old
myths. with an their beauties. and the
4 Teachings of the Christian Church has
resultei. Popular fancy among the
lations of The North, which were just
then becoming Chrisuanized. thor
oushly mingled with the teachings OF
The priests To-day the quaint and GU
rious customs are still carried out ia
Pleasant gatherings, on the eve pre-
oeding the feast the wei known and
popular HaIoWe en-.
SuDersidoas bringing from the OLD
Teutons are pracriced to-day in q spirit
oi un The maiden walks slowly
backward up the stairs. looking ali the
while into = mirror which she is car
rrmg in her hands on the top step
she IS greeted hv The face of her fu
tire husband. and timid lovers have
made much ol the story.
- an apple is carefully peeled and
thc lcnr slender peeline twirled three
times around rhe head and then hune
across fhc ROOM Bates hand VIII
cause * lo shape itself into the form
ol IRE Initial letter of the true lover
rame MYRIAD other customs have
rrown up around the day. and the
Z younger generation look upon it now
as somewhat of a holiday mad q night
cl prank playing
In lts church significance it Is a
beautiful custom It IS the time when
those who have been enjoying the ben
I c1ts which Christianity has bestowed
unon them. with one accord. unite ia
paving honor 10 the memory of those
who won the feht against the pagan
! Emperors of imperial Rome.
All Souls Day Thursday.
Following All saints Day is All
f souls Day. festival of the Roman
T Catholic Church. The festival was
first instituted in 993 in the monastery
ol Ciugny The object of the day is
1 br PRAYERS and aImsEiving. 20 alleviate
the sunerings of the souls in purga
tory.
40 general eilct making the day a
church festival fs recorded. 1T seems
f be- have come into general use, spread
ting from the monastery Of Cluny. To
day 81 is generally observed In all the
Roman Catholic churches of the world
with special masses and prayers f0l
the repose of the souls OF l-e dead.
Around Ali Souls Day legend has al
So clustered. though not nearly sd
many as around An Saints Day Mos
oil the legends are of the ghostly kind
ana lt is on this night that the depart
es return 90 earth and visit again the
4 scenes of their earthly life Perhaps
Z the most famous of an the All Souls
+ Dav legends is the one concerning
Kingston Bridge. famous in song and
stcry.
The legend took IT'S birth In the sim
Die poetic minds of the Angles and
Z Sax0ns. and among the ignorant O
English 3D. IS stin believed. tt is on
this night, say the ireside tales. thai
the souls come back and walk back
ward and forward on Kingston bridge
I From the hour of twelve until the crow
+ of tire cock the gh0stly procession con
4 unues. and those who have the cou-
ace 10 30 to- the briase can hold con
verse with those gone before" Nc
7 questions concerning the future life
+ are answered. the lips Of the spirit.
being tightly sealed on this point.