Saint in the spotlight: New concept for October 31st

Saint in the spotlight: New concept for October 31st

More and more families, parishes and church institutions think about how they can design October 31 without the usual Halloween hype. The awareness of alternative celebrations that are in harmony with Christian values grows. A new way is the "Santosanti" festival, which finds more and more supporters. Here, children and adults are transformed into saints and blessed to experience a happy celebration together.

santosanti offers a playful way of dealing with Christian culture by dealing with saints legends and biblical personalities. As the brochure of the youth department of the papal mission works ("Young Missio") explains, this not only helps to get to know these figures, but also promotes creativity. Children can discover what it means to be holy and realize that they too are called to holiness.

background and meaning of the sacred

The saints who celebrate the church on November 1 are not only historical figures, but are also seen as "friends in heaven". These people, including religious, married, single people and children such as the Fatima children, have a common denominator in their lives, despite their different backgrounds: their dedication to God and the pursuit of living.

The term "Santosanti" is intended to serve as a uniform name for celebrations that are organized in many countries. In Vienna it will be celebrated for the fourth time this year, and there are also interest in this idea in other Austrian parishes. From photo shoots in saint costumes to approaches such as a children's service with a clear Heiligenlitani - the celebrations are diverse.

A general process at Santosanti includes various elements: children and young people have the opportunity to present their costumes, take part in games or to find out about the saints in the memory game. An interactive photo session and the upload of these pictures on a special website also make the festival modern and appealing.

In Austria, the celebrations that are under the motto "Santosanti" vary. Examples are the "Holy Wins" festival in the parish of St. Markus in Vienna, which unites prayers, lectures and Agape, or the "Hello Saint" party in Linz, where children are traveling with their saint costumes to give others with candles and good wishes.

The special thing about Santosanti is that the festival is not only limited to October 31. The organization of the papal mission works suggests that these celebrations can take place until Ash Wednesday, which opens up a broad frame for creative costume celebrations. A carnival party or a group lesson could also become a stage for the topic of holiness.

The brochure is available for all interested parties with further information for download, Available .