These dates are celebrated primarily by Catholics, but not just by Italians.
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.
This is my first post for October, a longer than expected gap as since our return from a trip to the UK we have been having internet problems. The short version of the long story is that our provider decided it was not viable to keep the mast servicing the Marta area in operation! With no notice they just decided to switch it off, although during the last few weeks they have provided it twice for a few hours at a time, to give us chance to sort out alternative providers perhaps?! Well joking aside since lunchtime today we are now connected to a different mast courtesy of this little dish!
So now hoping problems are behind us and that I will have a chance to catch up with my blogging friends.
I am particularly concerned to check that all those of you in the path of Hurricane Sandy have stayed safe and secure in your homes, my thoughts have been with you.
The weather here has turned cold and very autumnal definitely time for roasting chestnuts and pumpkin soup, both of which we have enjoyed in the last few days. The chestnuts are from our own garden but the enormous pumpkin was grown by our neighbours and is now in their hen pen. Although so far the hens have not taken an interest!
For those of you interested in music the following post from last year has some autumnal tunes to help put you in an autumnal mood. Musica per Ottobre
I am leaving the blogging hiatus badge in the sidebar because I do not think I will be posting very often here over the winter months and I hope this will explain that I have not disappeared. In fact now that normal internet access has been resumed I have lots of Photos and Book Reviews that I plan to share with you. Please call by my other blogs and say hello if you are interested.
If you celebrate Happy Halloween.
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| Courtesy of artbymichelle |
It is interesting the way different cultures look at things, like the chrysanthemums. I have seem some programme about the All Souls Day celebrations in Italy, it looked rather exciting!
ReplyDeleteso glad you are back, this is so interesting, looks exciting, love the chestnuts!!
ReplyDeleteHi Lindy! I was beginning to wonder where you had got to!
ReplyDeleteI remember this time of year was a very sad one. The stalls outside the cemetery, in Bari, were laden with enormous yellow and white chrysanthemums, very beautiful, but, like you said, not meant to be brought indoors. You will never see these beautiful flowers inside and Italian house they are "I fiori dei morti!" (dead people's flowers.)
But I can't help feeling nostalgic for the days when I was a school girl, in Italy, writing about November, a grey, windy month... sad... quiet, but very, very romantic! I wish those days could come back! I wish I could stand by the Lungomare and watch the big waves crashing against the rocks on a windy day...
Ciao, Lindy!
ANNA
xx
Oh, I love roasted chestnuts. Definitely an autumnal occupation for us!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see your Internet problems are over.
Hello:
ReplyDeleteAll Saints and All Souls Days are also celebrated here in Hungary with public holidays and families visiting the graves of the dead. Indeed, in the main city cemeteries, the tombs and mausoleums of famous Hungarians who have died are also open for people to visit. The cemeteries look wonderful at this time of year as arrangements of flowers [also typically Chrysanthemums]adorn graves and small lighted candles glitter in the night. We much prefer this to the trick and treating of Halloween which is now commonplace in England.
Here is Denver there are usually little events for both days. I think it must be much more of a to-do. I'll keep checking back for your photos and book reviews.
ReplyDeleteHappy All Saints Day, Lindy!
ReplyDeleteIn Spain All Saints Day is a holiday, but not (anymore) Nov. 2nd. Pity! In Mexico both days were a holiday and it was a VERY big deal! Amazing actually. I really miss it!
ReplyDeleteHere in Spain people visit the graves of loved ones, clean them up, and leave flowers. And not everyone does that anymore.
Hello LindyLou, Yours internet connection sounds exactly the same as my daughter's who lives in India, some times it's there and some times it's not, which is very frustrating. I love roasted chestnuts and this is certainly the time of year to enjoy them. I shall pop over to your other blog and see what is happening there. Best Wishes Daphne
ReplyDeleteHow rude of your service to just shut people off like that! Glad that you were able to find an alternative. We will be going to mass tomorrow to observe All Saints Day. Hope you have been well.
ReplyDeleteWe also have All Saints day 1 November. Then Armistice Day 11 November but this year 12 in lieu of. That's it then until Christmas.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you are back on line and blogging again, I missed you.
Take care Diane
Welcome back LLM, we've missed you.
ReplyDeleteLeon and Sue
I have never hear of either of these days so thank you for enlightening me
ReplyDeleteNice of you to stop by Lindy...hope that you had a wonderful holiday. It was interesting to read of the tradition of All Saints and All Souls Day. It looks like you'll be roasting chestnuts soon - i've never tasted them but would like to.
ReplyDeleteGood to have you back - you only just made October!
ReplyDeleteI;m looking forward to more 'news and photographs from Italy'.
Happy Halloween...
Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're back! I hope you had a lovely trip :)
ReplyDeleteIn the US we celebrate All Saints Day, not as much in the southern states though (we tend to honor it more on Memorial Day). Whereas my cousins who live in northern states, have off from work for All Saints Day to remember their families and friends.
We're finally getting fall weather too. It's so refreshing :)
Tonight, I'll be wearing a simple pregnant Halloween shirt and handing out candy to the neighborhood children.
That's good. We also like chustnuts and mix it with rice. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lindylou, welcome back! I do hope you had a lovely trip to the UK. So glad you managed to get the mast palaver sorted out, and are back with us again.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your visit and comments. I am not too keen on Halloween, if I am honest, but try to make an effort for Lois. She is upstairs as I type sorting out the fancy dress with her little friend. Your pumpkin is fabulous and such a pretty colour. Much love to you, Linda x
In Belgium All Saints it's a bank holiday and the use is, that the whole population hurries to the graveyards to clean the graves and put some flowers on them and then they have done their duty for a year. It's a day you better don't take your car, because the streets are full of relatives visiting the X cimetaries in and around Brussels and whole Belgium. There are even special train fees ! I am a little disgusted, because the whole year long the cimetaries look neglected and awful and then just one day, because of the neighbors probably they go there and flower the grave ! Quiet hypocritical ! Happy to see you back again and in an autumnal Italy ! Wish you luck with your new internet connection !
ReplyDeleteso happy you are back xoxo
ReplyDeleteGlad you are back. Love All Saints Day, since they say it is for "Us"..I need every prayer they give..Ha, ha..
ReplyDeleteThings are so funny here..we had the storm hit, but Maine wasn't too bad. Some states were hit very hard.
Have a good rest of the week..Even if I am not here visiting..you are always in my thoughts.
xoCarolyn
Boa tarde querida Lindy!!!
ReplyDeleteObrigada de coração por seguir meu blog.
Aproveitei e vim conhecer seu outro cantinho...
Tenha dias felizes...
Bjokas...da Bia!!!
http://pequenosgrandespensantes.blogspot.com.br/
Last night I could not access your comments page. I do not know if the problem was your end or my end.
ReplyDeletePleased to see you back. Here Halloween is going to be a washout, as it is raining heavily. That's been the story of 2012!
So happy you're back on again. Hope there isn't any more internet problems. It is almost 10:30 at night here now Newfoundland--all the "trick or treaters" are gone home. It was a lovely night outside though--about 10* Celsius, so there were lots of kids out. I Love Halloween...mostly because when it's over, I can start preparing for CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Take care
ReplyDeleteI love that All Saints Day (my birthday) and the All Souls Day. It is so nice to have an honorific time for the dear ones not here.
ReplyDeleteHi Lindy -- happy to know you are well -- and sorry 'bout the Internet provider problems. Nice you can laugh about it; I guess you can't do much else. Hope the new one works well for you.
ReplyDeleteI went to a small Catholic school as a child and well remember getting All Saints as a Holiday from school. It was nice getting to stay up late on Halloween knowing there was no school the next day. (I am quite sure that was not the lesson the nuns tried to teach us about the Holy Day, but it is what stuck with me, heathen that I am.)
I will check in on your other blogs during the winter!
Hi Lindy, Glad to see you're back and staying connected. That's one big pumpkin. Enjoy the rest of your fall.
ReplyDeleteIn Spain it is party, but it's more fun Halloween.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
Olá Lindy, muito obrigada pela visita e comentário deixado no meu canto. Celebramos hoje o Dia de Todos os Santos e é feriado. Será o último ano em que será celebrado nesta data, por motivo da crise: (. Neste tempo também comemos castanhas assadas ou cozidas e alguns doces como pequenos bolos com canela e erva-doce (anis).
ReplyDeleteDesejo-lhe um final de dia muito agradável. Abraços. Ailime
(Em Portugal não se festeja o Halloween)
Nota: Dias 1 e 2 de Novembro são dias para relembrar os que partiram e habitualmente as pessoas vão ao cemitério depositar flores nas campas dos seus entes queridos.
Hi Lindy!
ReplyDeleteGd to see you again, hope you had a good holiday in the UK :-)
Oh...those chestnuts look tempting! Over here we roast them in black sand. The aroma is fantastic.
And the taste is awesome...!
I had same problem with the internet provider while on holiday in Cyprus :(
As they like they give you the service.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing your photos on your other blog.
Have a great weekend!
do you have a satellite internet connection? how does it work?
ReplyDeleteWe do indeed, will pop over to your blog to tell you what I know.
DeleteHope the internet connection behaves for you. That's quite a squash there!
ReplyDeleteI am SO glad you're back, Linda!! I've really missed you and your posts. :-) Hope your internet stays active and fast for a very long time. :-) xo
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! Sorry for all your internet problems! Will visit you other blogs!
ReplyDeleteOPS! Ognissanti...;)
ReplyDeleteYour post is very intresting!
Thanks for drawing my attention to the typing error, glad you found the post of interest.
DeleteWell, how fun to hear of your chestnut roasting and pumpkin soup making...two things I have never done or had. Loved learning about the Chrysanthemum protocol in Italy. Hope you enjoy a little blog vacation. It's good for the soul. I just took about 4 days off from my computer to celebrate my daughter's 20th birthday with her. It was wonderful. Thanks for stopping over to say hello and read my post. I'm always glad to see you've been by!
ReplyDeleteLiz
I have just joined this blog after LindyLou commented on a picture of Lake Bolsena that I posted on a Facebook page. My wife and I live near Glasgow in Scotland and we both love Italy. We had a holiday in Bolsena in July and went back again in October. We are always fascinated to find out more about Italian life and culture, so I look forward to following your blog. It was really interesting to learn about Tutti i Santi Ognissanti. I also enjoyed your selection of Italian songs about Autumn. I am glad to be a part of this community of lovers of Italy and all things Italian!
ReplyDeleteWelcome as reader to News From Italy, I do hope you will continue to enjoy sharing our little piece of Italy both here and on FB. How strange to think that you visited the area twice recently, you may see lots of familiar places on the blog. :)
DeleteDearest LindyLouMac,
ReplyDeleteWow, how interesting! Chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms are our national flowers and Chrysanthemums are really popular to use for any arrangements and also we offer them to the grave and family alter as well. Really good example of " Different people have different customs."(*^_^*) We usually boil chestnuts at home and also enjoy them with rice. If you have time, take a look at my Japanese meal page.
Thank you very much for your lovely comment to my post, how wonderful to learn from you about Italy! I will read this page when I find time.
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Where I'm from, we also celebrate All Saints and All Soul's day on those days. I wish I could go to Italy someday :). Such a beautiful place.
ReplyDelete