On June 15, 2025, the Orthodox believers celebrate the Sunday of all saints – a special day, in which holiness pours beyond icons and calendars, secretly entering the consciousness of every man who seeks the light of faith. It is the first Sunday after the Pentecost, but also the symbolic threshold between the reception of grace (through the descent of the Holy Spirit) and the response of man – the call to holiness.
Sunday of all the holy icon at the Hadambu Monastery Photo Doxologia Credit Stefan Cojocariu
But this year, this holiday comes with even deeper continuity: immediately after the Sunday of all saints, on June 16, the post of Saints Peter and Paul begins, a period of spiritual training that culminates on June 29, on the day of the two great apostles. Thus, the feast of the saints is not only a commemoration, but it becomes the beginning of a road: a silent invitation for cleaning, reflection and closeness to God.
But what is hidden behind this seemingly quiet day? What secret links do they unite the remembrance of all saints with the call of every soul to their own holiness? Find out the traditions, hidden meanings and symbolism of this Orthodox holiday.
What do we celebrate on the Sunday of all saints, the first Sunday after Pentecost
The Sunday of all saints represents a bridge between the mystery of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) and the fruits of faith – the saints, that is, those people who fully responded to the divine call. On June 15, 2025, the Orthodox Church honors not only the well-known saints, who appear in calendars and icons, but also the unknown: anonymous martyrs, her simple or her simple believers who have lived their lives in the silent light of holiness.
It is the Sunday of all saints, the first after Pentecost, a day when faith walks beyond the calendar, in the territory of unseen holiness and mysterious bonds between man and divinity.
This holiday has a universal character and symbolizes the communion between the Fighter Church (those on Earth) and the triumphant Church (those in the Kingdom of Heaven). It is an opportunity to ask for the intercession of all saints for our salvation, but also to reflect on one’s own call to holiness.
It is the moment when the Church symbolically opens the gates of heaven and reminds us that, beyond the walls, names and memories, there is an army of clean souls that watch the world. A day that is not just a ritual, but represents a deep, personal call, addressed to every believer: to live clean, simply, sanctified.
Romanian traditions on the Sunday of all saints
In the Romanian villages, the Sunday of all saints is greeted with sobriety, but also with gestures loaded with symbols. In some regions, women go to church with lime or walnut branches, which will be sanctified and kept at home as defenders against lightning and bad.
It is the day when the dead are mentioned who do not have a certain day of remembrance. Although traditional remembrances for deaths without a fixed day, known as “Moșii”occur on Saturdays, in some regions of the country on Sunday of all saints, the first after Pentecost, is also associated with such special people, which makes the holiday sometimes popularly known as “The summer estates”.
Colaci, cherries, pots adorned with burning flowers and candles – all symbols of life, cleanliness and eternal light are given.
What is not done on this day: in the popular faith, it is not working. It is said that those who wash or mow on this day “It bothers them” saints and will not have their help.
Hidden meanings and superstitions: What does it mean when you dream of a saint or raining on the Sunday of all saints
Few know that the establishment of this holiday originates in the fourth century, in Antioch, and the idea of honoring all the saints together appeared precisely from the desire not to forget any of them, especially those who suffered martyrdom in silence or anonymity.
One of the old superstitions, transmitted in the villages of Moldova, says that if it rains on the Sunday of all saints, the summer will be dry. In Muntenia, it was believed that if you dream of a saint on the night of this day, that is your unseen protector, and the prayers to him will be listened to.
And in Transylvania, the elders said that those who fast and pray on this day would have prophetic dreams the following night, receiving “Signs” about the path of their lives.
From a spiritual point of view, the feast reminds each believer that holiness is not a gift reserved exclusively to monks or martyrs, but a call to all. The Church reminds us thus: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Levitic 11:44 – “For I am the Lord your God. May I sanctify and be holy, for I am holy.”).
The Sunday of all saints is not only a religious holiday, but also a moment of mystery and introspection – a day when the whole world seems to stop for a moment, in respect of all those who lived with faith, even if they have never been immortalized in icons.
