All Saints Day

Readers expecting a wild time of costume parties and rollicking Halloween debauchery may be shocked to discover a rather sobering, sombre scene the during the evenings of November 1 and 2 in Poland. Known nationally as All Saints’ Day (Dzień Wszystkich Świętych) and All Souls’ Day (Dzień Zaduszny, or Dzień Wszystkich Zmarłych) respectively, these two days of the calendar year are dedicated to prayer and paying tribute to the deceased by visiting their graves. In accordance with tradition, Catholic families all over Poland will make pilgrimages to the resting places of their relatives, tending the graves with a care that is truly touching, before laying wreaths, flowers and candles that will be kept lit throughout the length of the holiday. As night descends, the country’s graveyards are aglow with the warm light of literally thousands of flickering candles, creating an eerie, incredibly evocative atmosphere that should not be missed by anyone with a heart that still beats. As it happens, Kraków is perhaps Poland’s most evocative,' necropolitan' city in which to witness the events. While visitors to the city may not have ancestors buried here, a trip to one of Kraków’s cemeteries during this unforgettable ceremony is, indeed, requisite. While we could wax poetic about the unearthly glow of the immense candlelight, the murmur of prayer and psalms, the subtle smells of the incense, fresh flowers and burning wax, the shades of ravens in the trees, the wet grass and mists, and the surreal duality of the supernaturally charged, yet tranquil atmosphere, we’d prefer you just experience it for yourself and to take a candle along with you.

November 1 marks All Saints’ Day (Dzień Wszystkich Świętych), one of Poland’s most important public holidays with only transport and emergency service employees expected to work, so don't be surprised to find your favourite bar, restaurant or shop bolted shut for the day. Whole families descend on graveyards and memorials to lay wreaths and candles for deceased family members and the prayers said at the gravestone are said to help the souls of the dead. As night falls, cemeteries acquire an eerie red glow from the thousands of flickering candles. A stirring and unforgettable sight.