The Christian Church: Festivals - CCEASaintsâ days
Christian festivals help people to remember the story of Jesus' life. They are also times to give thanks to God for His blessings and to celebrate the saints.
Traditionally, the Christian Church has recognised that certain people are especially holy because they have lived a life that is close to the Christian ideal. These people are called saints.
In some Christian denominations - for example, the Roman Catholic Church - saints continue to play a very important role. All the well-known saints have their own special day. A special Mass will be celebrated where worshippers will reflect on the inspiration a particular saint has given.
Saints are also important in the Church of Ireland, but in some churches they have little or no role to play - for example, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
There are two main reasons why saints days are kept and why they are regarded by many Christians as being important:
To help people remember â celebrating saints days is a way of ensuring that special people are not forgotten.
To give Christians good examples â saints are the heroes or role models of the Church and remembering the stories of their lives gives people a good example to follow.