Catholics honor All Saints’ Day with family gatherings and cemetery visits across Poland

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poles met up with families and visited their beloved dead on All Saints’ Day, which was celebrated Saturday across the Catholic world.

All Saints’ Day, annually celebrated Nov. 1, is one of the most important days in the Polish calendar. Supermarket shelves are stacked with candles weeks in advance. As the day approaches, street vendors compete for spots near cemetery entrances, selling chrysanthemums and traditional snacks like pretzels, called “obwazanki” in Polish.

In cities across the country, special bus lines were introduced, with their final stops at the largest cemeteries. Inhabitants of big cities headed to the suburbs or villages where parents or grandparents live, so they can visit the graves of deceased family members together. Police officers set up special patrols, jokingly called “Operation Candle,” to keep the peace on the roads during the holiday.

Poland seemingly came to a standstill Saturday as people made their way to cemeteries to collectively honor those who have died. As the day turned to dusk, graves adorned with white and red candles and colorful flowers — set against the backdrop of orange autumn leaves — radiated warmth and comfort despite the somber occasion.