Most people in Belgium are off work on 1 November as many businesses and public services across the country traditionally close down for All Saints' Day. But what exactly is celebrated on this holiday?
1 November marks All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows Day or the Feast of All Saints. It is celebrated in countries of the Christian tradition and is recognised as an official public holiday in Belgium. The holiday always falls on the first day of November.
The day follows All Saints' Eve on 31 October (a Tuesday this year), alternatively known as All Hallows Eve or more popularly as Halloween – the traditional start to the three-day period of remembrance of the dead.
Chrysanthemums and candles
The holiday marks the day to commemorate the "communion of saints" and honours the belief that those who have gone to Heaven continue to be strongly bound to those who remain on Earth. Observers celebrate all known saints and martyrs as well as unknown figures, such as faithful devotees or loved ones who have passed but led others to a life of faith.
Today, the main practice of people commemorating the dead is attending Mass: in Belgium, devotees often go to church for a special service. Most importantly, however, they visit cemeteries to decorate the graves of their deceased loved ones with chrysanthemums and candles.
On Thursday 2 November, the "Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed" (All Souls’ Day) is celebrated, when the Church remembers and prays for the faithful departed.
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However, barely a third of Belgians still regularly go to the cemetery to commemorate their loved ones, a recent survey by funeral insurance service Dela shows. In particular, "the dreary, grey appearance" of many cemeteries is keeping more and more people away.
That does not mean that people no longer think about the dead, but only that their experience of mourning has shifted from the cemetery closer to their own home, in the form of an urn, a pendant or a tattoo, for example.
Still, thousands of people in Belgium are expected to head to the cemetery today, which is why Brussels public transport company STIB is rerouting a number of buses so people can easily reach the cemeteries in the capital.
More information can be found on the company's website and social media channels.
