Shining Those Who Passed - All Saint's Day in Poland
The first night of November might possibly the most beautiful night in Poland this month. Polish people celebrate 'Wszystkich Swietych' or All Saint's Day in English. Also known as the Day of the Dead, many people remember their deceased family, friends and also fallen heroes on this day.
All Saint's Day is celebrated in Poland and many other countries. A few sources states that the idea goes back to the fourth century, though some other sources said that it was commemorated as early as 270. The Catholic church made All Saint's Day an authorized holiday on 837.
source : https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/01/world/all-saints-day-trnd/index.html
On the cemetary that i went, a monument was erected to remember the brave Polish scouts who died fighting for their country during WWII.
In English, the Polish words carved to the monument on the left roughly translates to :
"Passerby, tell Poland we have fallen obedient to her cause"
While the longer sentence on the right monument reads :
"Here lies the ashes of the Heroic Silesian Insurgents, Lady Scouts and Scouts murdered in 1939 by Nazi Invaders at Panewniki Forests, prisons and the streets of Katowice"
I stood in silence for a few moments in front of the monument and my mind wandered through time of how these courageous souls stood tall against overwhelming odds to defend their land and loved ones.
There is also a chapel in the center of the cemetery where people can put candles in front of it for their loved one who's buried far away from where they are living or even people who are forgotten.