Seelenwoche/All Saints Day/Day of the Dead in Austria
Death with hourglass, detail of Anker clock, art nouveau, Vienna, Austria, Europe
Austrians celebrate All Saints Day, the Catholic holiday in remembrance of the Saint Martyrs, on November 1. All Saints Day in Austria is part of a week known as "Seelenwoche" (All Souls Week) during which the Austrians believe the curtain between the world of the spirits and the living is thinner than normal.
Celebrate All Saints Day with extended family, including the deceased. It is thought that in Austrian villages, the souls of the dead will gather on the eve of All Saints for the "gerstermesse," or family celebration. In order to help lead their way through the dark, lighted processions of the living move toward the graveyard to leave lanterns at the grave sites.
Listen for church bells beginning at noon on All Saints Day. This begins the hour of "Seelenauslauten," during which the souls of the dead are released. The Austrian belief is that the departed have a bodily presence and can be anywhere. The bells ring to signal it is time to move beyond the world of the living.
Attend Catholic Mass, the traditional liturgy of the Eucharist. The most well known church in Austria is St. Stephen's (also known as Stephansdome) in the heart of Vienna. However, the country is home to many old and stylistically beautiful churches, from the Romanesque to the Neo-Gothic.
Visit the graves of loved ones, decorating them with candles and flower arrangements. It's customary to use the flowers of fall, chrysanthemums or marigolds, either in dried arrangements or as a wreath. Though All Saints Day is a national holiday during which schools and stores are closed, public transportation continues to run and even has additional routes to the "gottesackers" (cemeteries).
Attend the annual celebratory event at the largest Viennese cemetery, Zentralfriedhof, where graves are symbolically decorated to resemble the Garden of Eden as a way to encourage the dead to find their way to the paradise of heaven. Thousands of people will gather in Zentralfriedhof to listen to music and have picnic feasts with family and friends.
Donate food to the poor. This is a traditional part of All Saints Day. Food that was set aside for the souls of loved ones is gifted to the less fortunate. Children also receive small gifts on this day as they walk through the villages in "heischeumzugen." The word literally means "asking for a small gift," which children do by singing songs of All Souls.
Read more:How to Celebrate All Saints Day in Austria | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_2064997_celebrate-all-saints-day-austria.html
By an eHow Contributor
wikipedia
Celebrate All Saints Day with extended family, including the deceased. It is thought that in Austrian villages, the souls of the dead will gather on the eve of All Saints for the "gerstermesse," or family celebration. In order to help lead their way through the dark, lighted processions of the living move toward the graveyard to leave lanterns at the grave sites.
Listen for church bells beginning at noon on All Saints Day. This begins the hour of "Seelenauslauten," during which the souls of the dead are released. The Austrian belief is that the departed have a bodily presence and can be anywhere. The bells ring to signal it is time to move beyond the world of the living.
Attend Catholic Mass, the traditional liturgy of the Eucharist. The most well known church in Austria is St. Stephen's (also known as Stephansdome) in the heart of Vienna. However, the country is home to many old and stylistically beautiful churches, from the Romanesque to the Neo-Gothic.
Visit the graves of loved ones, decorating them with candles and flower arrangements. It's customary to use the flowers of fall, chrysanthemums or marigolds, either in dried arrangements or as a wreath. Though All Saints Day is a national holiday during which schools and stores are closed, public transportation continues to run and even has additional routes to the "gottesackers" (cemeteries).
Attend the annual celebratory event at the largest Viennese cemetery, Zentralfriedhof, where graves are symbolically decorated to resemble the Garden of Eden as a way to encourage the dead to find their way to the paradise of heaven. Thousands of people will gather in Zentralfriedhof to listen to music and have picnic feasts with family and friends.
Donate food to the poor. This is a traditional part of All Saints Day. Food that was set aside for the souls of loved ones is gifted to the less fortunate. Children also receive small gifts on this day as they walk through the villages in "heischeumzugen." The word literally means "asking for a small gift," which children do by singing songs of All Souls.
Read more:How to Celebrate All Saints Day in Austria | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_2064997_celebrate-all-saints-day-austria.html
By an eHow Contributor
wikipedia