All Saints' Day 2015: Facts, History and Traditions

1. All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated yearly on November 1. The day is devoted to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have reached heaven.

2. All Saints' Day was formally started by Pope Boniface IV, who sanctified the Parthenon at Rome to the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs on May 13 in 609 AD. Boniface IV also instituted All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints.

3. In Ireland, the Church celebrates All Saints' Day on April 20, to avoid connecting the day with the traditional harvest festivals and pagan feasts associated with Samhain, celebrated at the same time.

4. In other countries, such as Portugal, Spain and Mexico, traditional practices include performance of the play, "Don Juan Tenorio" and offerings made to the dead. All Saints' Day occurs on the same day as the Mexican "Dide los Innocentes" a day devoted to departed children.

5. In the United States, the day before is Halloween and is usually celebrated by wearing costumes with themes of death commonly associated. Children go door-to-door in costume, trick-or-treating, that is soliciting candy from their neighbors.