Allerheiligen

Italy vacation countdown: T minus 3 days.

Normally, I am not lured to these types of evening events, such as the Altstadt Halloween Night Tour, on a “school night”, but since is Tuesday is a public holiday, I said, “Sure, what the heck!” Yes, November 1st is known as Allerheiligen (see 10/31 blog for details or the following URL: http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/allsaint.htm for further details).

Excerpt as follows:

In Germany, Allerheiligen/All Saint's Day on November 1 is an official holiday. People visit and spruce up the graves of their loved ones, bringing a flower arrangement, a heart, wreath or cross made of evergreens and pines. German graves are planted with evergreens and flowers all year round. Family members living out of town return to the villages of the family to attend church services. In the "Allerheiligen Gottesdienst" (church service), the sermon deals with "all saints," all those, past and present, who live a godly life. At noon a family dinner ensues, followed by a procession to the cemetery. In the afternoons, another family gathering takes place at home for "Kaffee und Kuchen." The following morning, All Souls' Day, there is a church service and prayers for the dead.

On my day off, I am headed to see a dead guy of sorts....the new Matisse exhibit in Düsseldorf.