Allerheiligen

Towards the end of October some lucky schoolchildren in Germany are getting ready for some time off school. While children in the UK are enjoying their half term holidays and making plans for Halloween and Bonfire Night, across the North Sea in Germany most children are working hard in school.

But for children in mainly catholic regions of Germany there is an extra day off school on November 1st. This day is called Allerheiligen which means All Holies. It falls on the same day as All Saints' Day in the UK, Toussaint in France and Día de todos los santos in Spain.

The day is a special religious holiday when all the saints are remembered and honoured. Many Catholics attend church on this day and light special candles and say prayers for family members who have died. It is also a day when people like to visit the graves of relatives and friends who have died. They bring flowers and candles to the graveyards and light candles when it starts to get dark in the late afternoon. It is quite a magical sight to see flickering candles in their thousands in city cemeteries.