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1 November: what is celebrated today
The first day of November marks a singular crossing point between life and memory, between the spirit that breathes and the spirit that endures in remembrance. In different latitudes, the air fills with flowers, incense, candles and bread. It is the month in which the living talk with the dead, in which the earth seems to renew itself in silence. Today the calendar invites us to contemplate the invisible: from the saints who dwell in eternity to the human beings who seek a balance with nature, with animals or with their own bodies.
All Saints’ Day
For centuries, 1 November has been a day of devout silence and hope. The Catholic Church dedicates it to those who attained sainthood, known or anonymous, those who left traces of goodness and faith. Its origin goes back to the first Christians who honoured martyrs, but it was Pope Gregory III who set the date and consecrated St Peter’s Basilica to all saints.
In Spain, families visit cemeteries and fill graves with flowers, while theatres stage Don Juan Tenorio, José Zorrilla’s immortal work in which love triumphs over death. It is a day to give thanks for the lives of those who are no longer here, remembering that perhaps sainthood is also hidden in the everyday gestures of those who loved and forgave.
World Ecology Day
On the same day, the world turns its gaze to the planet that sustains us. World Ecology Day is not a solemn date but a call to awareness: a reminder that the earth also has a voice, although we rarely listen to it. Ecology, “the study of the home”, as its Greek etymology suggests, teaches us that every species, every river or tree, forms part of a fragile balance on which we all depend.
Celebrating it involves more than planting a tree: it means reviewing the way we produce, consume and breathe. In laboratories, in fields or in homes, thousands of people promote a life more harmonious with nature. At a time marked by technological noise and excess, this day reminds us that caring for the planet is also caring for the very possibility of hope.
World Vegan Day
On 1 November 1994, the Vegan Society of the United Kingdom proposed dedicating this day to those who choose to live without causing harm to other living beings. Since then, veganism has gone from being a rarity to becoming a global movement that reconsiders the bonds between humans, animals and the Earth.
More than a diet, it is an ethic. Vegans reject the consumption of meat, dairy products or products of animal origin, but they also question fashion, cosmetics or any industry based on exploitation. Their gesture is not merely dietary: it is a form of active compassion, a silent revolution that challenges our habits and redefines the meaning of what we call wellbeing.
World Acromegaly Day
Not all international days are about celebrations. Some, like this one, are beacons of awareness. Acromegaly is a rare disease caused by an excess of growth hormone. Its slow and silent progress deforms features, affects health and is often diagnosed too late. That is why 1 November is also the day of those who live with this condition and of the doctors who fight to detect it in time.
Remembering its existence is remembering that health is not a statistic, but a human story. Behind every figure there is a face seeking relief, a voice asking to be heard. Making the invisible visible — as this commemoration does — is another way of honouring life.
Day of the Dead (first day, dedicated to children)
In Mexico, 1 November has the colour of cempasúchil flowers and the aroma of pan de muerto. It is the first day of the Day of the Dead, dedicated to the souls of children, those little ones who left too soon and who, according to tradition, return for one night to visit their home. Families set up altars with toys, sweets and candles; the streets are filled with catrinas, skulls and music.
In this celebration, death does not frighten: it dresses for a festival. It is the continuation of a pre-Hispanic heritage that merged with the Catholic faith and that UNESCO now recognises as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Day of the Dead is perhaps the brightest way to remember: when love triumphs over oblivion and the absent return, if only for an instant, to sit at the table.