An atmosphere of reflection, burning candles, seas of flowers and... enormous traffic jams clogging the streets of Poznan ? a picture of one of the most meditative holidays in Poland, All Saints? Day, on which Poles reminisce about the deceased.

All Saints? Day has for centuries been celebrated on the 1^st of November. However, it is considered a holiday of reflection and solemnity rather than a humorous holiday of ghosts, as it is with the Anglo-Saxon tradition of Halloween.

In Poland, All Saints' Day is followed by All Souls' Day (Dzień Zadusznych), when we reminisce about all the deceased, not only those beatified by the Pope. But since it is the 1^st of November that is a bank holiday, it is then that many people visit cemeteries to say prayers and light candles.

Although the tradition of this holiday is bound with Catholicism, it is celebrated by all Poles, irrespective of their worldview or religious denomination.

The most important element of All Saints? Day is a visit to the cemetery, where Poles light candles and put flowers on the relatives? graves. The most characteristic are chrysanthemums, above all associated with the 1^st of November. These flowers are rarely given on any other occasions such as birthdays or name?s days.

For some, All Saints? Day may also be an opportunity for the only visit to their family place throughout the year. That is why around the 1^st of November, Polish roads are affected by most intensive traffic. City drivers face large traffic jams, too. The largest cemeteries in Poznan are located in Miłostowo (at the exit route to Warsaw) and Junikowo (in the Western part of the city, at the end of ul. Grunwaldzka). If you do not have to drive around Poznan, it is better to not do so, as you could get stuck in a giant traffic jam. Additionally, the road police runs the ?Candle? campaign (Znicz). Police patrols, particularly vigilant against breaching the regulations, can be seen every corner. Policemen are also sided by soldiers, just as the former entitled to give fines.

On All Saints? Day, it is worth leaving home and having a walk to one of Poznan?s cemeteries, which look particularly beautiful after dusk, when illuminated by thousands of glittering candle lights. Finally, it is worth adding that the military cemetery at the Citadel includes graves of Russian, English, French and American soldiers who died during the first and second World Wars.