All Saints Day
Today, Nov 1, is All Saints Day. Poland hasn't really gotten into Halloween yet, although from time to time you can see some kids trying to milk the imported holiday for some sugary goodness. :-)
All Saints Day, though, is a big national holiday here. People will be busy today going to Mass (it's one of the "Holy Days of Obligation" for Catholics), going to deceased family members' graves, and spending time with the rest of their family.
The sad thing is that many Poles believe today is a special day to help the souls of the deceased. You can do a quick google and read a lot. But basically they spend time praying for their friends and relatives souls, that they would be released from purgatory and be allowed to enter into heaven at last. They also place special long-burning candles at the graveside which are traditionally thought of as allowing "departed souls can find their way through the darkness".
This holiday is yet another example of how culture and tradition make it so difficult for Poles to unlearn the unbiblical teachings that keep them from freedom in relationship with Christ. If you're Polish, you do all of these things, period. You don't question. [A lot of these traditions, though, are losing strength with younger generations...but they are going further and further toward atheism and agnosticism like the rest of Europe.]
Pray for Poland today...for the people we have contact with who are seeking, trying to wade through everything they have grown up with that so easily clouds their vision. Pray that TRUTH will reign and that they will be open to it!
Here are a couple links about All Saints Day that you might be interested in looking at:
http://polandpoland.com/allsaintsday.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints
http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art10fr.htm
All Saints Day, though, is a big national holiday here. People will be busy today going to Mass (it's one of the "Holy Days of Obligation" for Catholics), going to deceased family members' graves, and spending time with the rest of their family.
The sad thing is that many Poles believe today is a special day to help the souls of the deceased. You can do a quick google and read a lot. But basically they spend time praying for their friends and relatives souls, that they would be released from purgatory and be allowed to enter into heaven at last. They also place special long-burning candles at the graveside which are traditionally thought of as allowing "departed souls can find their way through the darkness".
This holiday is yet another example of how culture and tradition make it so difficult for Poles to unlearn the unbiblical teachings that keep them from freedom in relationship with Christ. If you're Polish, you do all of these things, period. You don't question. [A lot of these traditions, though, are losing strength with younger generations...but they are going further and further toward atheism and agnosticism like the rest of Europe.]
Pray for Poland today...for the people we have contact with who are seeking, trying to wade through everything they have grown up with that so easily clouds their vision. Pray that TRUTH will reign and that they will be open to it!
Here are a couple links about All Saints Day that you might be interested in looking at:
http://polandpoland.com/allsaintsday.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints
http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art10fr.htm
posted by Michael Shattuck at
4:41 AM
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