Romana
RebeccaPreserving the memory of our nearest and dearest who are no longer with us is extremely important.
In Slovenia, November 1st is the Day of Remembrance for the Dead. It is a Slovene national holiday based on All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday.
It is customary to visit cemeteries on this day. Slovenes decorate graves with flowers and candles.
Slovenians light sixteen million candles every year. Two-thirds of them are for November 1st. That equats to about four thousand tons of waste – primarily plastic.
Every part of a burning candle sooner or later becomes waste that pollutes the environment, warns the Ministry of the Environment.
In the eco-humanitarian campaign Manj svečk za manj grobov, meaning Fewer candles for fewer graves, people who visit the cemeteries are offered sympathy flags, stones, or other symbolic objects in exchange for a donation.
In all cultures, there are customs and traditions of how the living remember those who’ve passed.
November 1st is a holiday for many European countries.
Remembrance Day is not celebrated in countries without a strong Catholic tradition, for example in the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries.
Protestants also take flowers and candles to cemeteries on November 1st.
The Orthodox Church does not celebrate this holiday. Instead, four Saturdays a year memorial services are held for those who have passed away. Incense is brought to graves rather than flowers.
Muslims pray in cemeteries on the last day of the month of Ramadan. Their graves are modest – not decorated with flowers or candles.
A three-day Chinese holiday held the first week of April, is dedicated to the memory of the deceased. The next one will begin on 4th April 2025.
Over the three days, the Chinese visit cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves.
Glossary
Christianity is the world’s largest religion. It is divided into three branches: Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox.
A donation is something given to enable a philanthropic activity.
Points to Consider
- Do you visit the cemetery on November 1st?
- What do you think is the best way to remember the dead?
- What can you bring to the cemetery instead of a candle?
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The original version of this article was published on November 1st.
Mateja
Rok
