Saints are venerated—honored with special acts of devotion—in two of the three branches of Christianity. In Roman Catholicism a person is officially declared a saint after death through a process called canonization. This process requires proof that the person performed miracles while alive. In Eastern Orthodoxy this process is less formal. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that saints have special powers to help people. They venerate the remains of the saints and certain objects associated with the saints, known as relics. They also honor each saint with a special feast day. Most Protestants do not venerate saints.

Muhammad, the great prophet of Islam, denied the existence of saints. However, Muslims venerate certain holy people who they believe are especially close to God. These holy people are thought to have special powers to bless people and to perform miracles. Such a person is known as wali, meaning “friend of God.” Muslims also honor martyrs.

All Buddhists honor saints, which include the Buddha himself. Buddhists believe in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth; after death, one's soul is reborn in another being. In general, Buddhists honor as saints people who have freed themselves from this cycle of rebirth and those who have helped others free themselves from the cycle.

Hinduism recognizes a great variety of saints, including sadhus and avatars. Sadhus are holy people who go without nearly everything except what they need to survive, such as a little food and a few simple belongings. An avatar is believed to be a god reborn into human or animal form.