Welcome Everyone.

Welcome to News From Italy, my blog about our Italian Adventure. Although this blog has now ceased publication I will be continuing to blog and I am sincerely hoping that my many followers here will move with me to Travel Tales blog to follow my next adventures wherever they may take me. The links to my other blogs are:-


I look forward to keeping in touch with you via them, thanks once again for all the support you have given 'News From Italy' over the years.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

All Saints Day


 

Google images.
These dates are celebrated primarily by Catholics, but not just by Italians. There are also Church of England dioceses that honour these dates with special services, although I believe not so often recognised these days as it was many years ago.
November 1st is a public holiday in Italy for All Saints Day where it is known as Tutti i Santi Ognissnati.  All Saints Day is the Catholic holiday, commemorating the Saint Martyrs and the following day is All Souls Day, which is set aside to honour loved ones who are deceased. Italians celebrate the two days together and traditionally they visit the graves of  their loved ones and leave some flowers normally chrysanthemums.
This is why you must never take chrysanthemums as a gift to an Italian household, as it is considered unlucky to have them indoors.


To those of you that have been reading News From Italy for more than a year, the above words may be familiar as I wrote them here last year. 
Forgive me my lack of originality but although we are now home from our travels in Asia, having had a really wonderful time, I have lots to do before I will have a lot of time for blogging.

Although News From Italy is primarily about our life in Italy I have from time to time posted about our travels outside Italy as family and friends including my faithful readers have expressed an interest in me doing so. I will therefore be posting photos and maybe a few comments on our Asian travels over the coming months.  For those of you that already know I am a keen amateur photographer it will be no surprise that I took many more than I will be sharing with you here! I have not loaded the photos yet but I will be doing so to my Flickr for those of you that are interested in viewing all the albums.

I will also be sharing many of the photos I have taken on the photography site I contribute a daily photo to, please consider becoming a follower there if you are a photography fan and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.
I shared this photo there yesterday.

Chinese Ladies - Hong Kong Ladies Market


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22 comments:

  1. Niall & AntoinetteNovember 1, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    Sounds like you had a great trip. Potted chrysanthemums are the order of the day here too [France] and afterwards the riot of colour makes the graveyards look lovely.

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  2. Ricki TreleavenNovember 1, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    So happy you are home safely!

    xoxoxoxo,
    Ricki Jill

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  3. OliveNovember 1, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    Welcome back.

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  4. CathyNovember 1, 2011 at 3:06 PM

    Hi Linda, I am impressed that you have just returned home and are already blogging! I hope the jet lag isn't too bad!

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  5. SheilaNovember 1, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    Welcome home - I will be looking forward to hearing about your trip. Best Wishes for All Saints Day!

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  6. BBNovember 1, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    Glad you're back. This was a great post. I would love to get "mums" as a gift. Who would have thought it would be a bad gesture in Italy? The things you teach us!! Hugs!

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  7. AnnaNovember 1, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Are you back, Lindy? Enjoy the long weekend, if you are! Good to see you back. We missed you, but I'm sure you didn't miss us!

    You are right, Chrysanthemus aren't very popular in Italy and you wouldn't have them in the house. They are associated with death and cemeteries, in Italy, especially in November. Lilies and roses are popular in bouquets, though. Plain old chrysanthemums... I'm not sure... they aren't that pretty, anyway!

    CIAO!

    ANNA

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  8. Italian NotesNovember 1, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    I didn't read the post last year, so thanks for a short and sweet introduction to Ognissanti and the colourful porcelaine ladies:)

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  9. Theresa MilsteinNovember 1, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I didn't know about the crysanthemums.

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  10. BarbaraNovember 1, 2011 at 6:49 PM

    Here in France we are also enjoying the day off for "toussaints!"

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  11. Ken and Laurie-AnnNovember 1, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    We are glad you had a nice trip (we missed your blog :)). We will be in Montefiascone next week, and are really looking forward to it!

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  12. flowers on my tableNovember 1, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Welcome back Linda, so glad you had a great time. I can't wait to see your photos as I know they will be stunning! Love Linda x

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  13. Grammy GoodwillNovember 1, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    I'm so glad you're home. I hope you had a great trip. I can't wait to see your pictures.

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  14. Welshcakes LimoncelloNovember 2, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Welcome back. I love those ladies! Looking forward to reading more about your travels. x

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  15. karenNovember 2, 2011 at 7:01 AM

    Welcome back!
    Looking forward to hearing about the Asian holiday..

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  16. Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan bloggerNovember 2, 2011 at 8:19 AM

    I always heard of All Saints day and All Souls Day during my time at my Catholic High School, but I never really knew what they were celebrating!

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  17. Rambling TartNovember 2, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    I'm so happy you're back, Linda! I hope you settle in beautifully as you unpack, do laundry, and get things organized. :-)

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  18. GaynorBNovember 2, 2011 at 7:04 PM

    Welcome back after your holiday.
    I love the painted ladies and look forward to reading more about your trip to Asia.

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  19. AnonymousNovember 3, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    Two women of them wear Japanese kimono! I'm happy.

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  20. snowwhiteNovember 3, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    Lindy,
    To know differences and similarities among different cultures is always greatly interesting to me. In Japan, chrysanthemums are used as funeral flowers, but also sixteen petaled chrysanthemum is the emblem of the emperor. Oh, there are two Japanese beauties in Kimono! I wonder whether you have also each Saint Day besides All Saints Day.
    Best wishes,
    keiko

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  21. Rosebud CollectionNovember 8, 2011 at 12:11 AM

    All Saints/All Souls..both important here too..
    Glad you had a great trip..
    xoCarolyn

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  22. DollyNovember 18, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    All Saints and All Souls Days are both important to Catholics in the UK and also here in Ireland. We write the names of our loved ones on a List, and leave it in an envelope in Church for the month of November. The names are included in the Masses for that month. I didn't know that about "mums" though and I will have to remember never to give them to my Italian friends as a gift. I love your blog :)

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