A Christian festival called All Saints' Day is observed in remembrance of all saints, both deceased and living. But for the majority, it is Saint's Day, a holiday to remember all of their departed friends and family. There is no work or school on this day because it is a public holiday. But here in the Philippines, this occasion is also a chance for many families to get together with surviving family members—sometimes the entire clan—in addition to honoring the dead.
The origins of All Saints' Day are supposed to date back to the fourth-century Greek Christians, who celebrated a celebration honoring all martyrs and saints on the first Sunday following Pentecost. The Festival of the Dead, which is mostly observed according to Pagan beliefs, is thought to have been replaced by November 1st. Later, in 993 CE, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day were combined in Cluny at the monastery. These two celebrations quickly achieved worldwide renown among Christians and were established expressly to honor departed family members and loved ones.
The Roman Catholic Church and All Souls’ Day
The Catholic Church celebrates All Saints Day on November 2nd of each year as a day to mourn and honor the deceased. The day is observed by the majority of Christian denominations, as well as by the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other organizations. Although nearly all Protestant groups reject the festival's doctrinal foundations and do not commemorate it, the largest protestant church, the Anglicans, also honors this holy day.
According to Roman Catholicism, there are three possible places for a person's soul to go after death. People who pass away in a state of full grace and communion with God enter heaven and are granted eternal life. Second, there is hell, which is designated for those who pass away after having committed fatal sins. For people who have not committed any fatal crimes but are nevertheless trapped in a state of lesser venial sins, purgatory serves as a halfway point after death.
What occurs every 1st and 2nd days of November?
On All Souls' Day, a lot of individuals return to their native provinces. They visit the church to light candles if they are unable to do so. Additionally, memorial services are performed for the deceased. Filipinos take this time to relax in addition to paying respect to the deceased. Many businesses and private firms celebrate Halloween on October 30 or 31. Trick-or-treating activities are frequently held for children in malls, hotels, and towns. Some Filipinos visit the beach as a way to unwind and rejuvenate.
On All Saints' Day, people light candles and place flowers on graves as a way to remember that the departed once enjoyed life's hues. Candles are a sign of affection and hope for the peaceful salvation of all the saints and the deceased. Children enjoy making balls out of the wax when the candles burn out. Families return from the cemetery and leave smoldering candles by the front entrance. It is an antiquated belief. Burning the candle symbolizes the family's continued memory of the departed and dispels the belief held among Filipinos that the soul may follow them into the house.
Even the day before All Saints' Day, the cemetery receives a lot of visitors. They occasionally stay the night there. A lot of individuals set up camp next to their relatives' tombs with tents. Following the cleaning of tombs, people celebrate by eating, drinking, and having a feast in remembrance of the feast that Jesus shared with his disciples and followers. Some Filipinos think that living family members feast with their deceased relatives' souls. They also recite the Rosary and offer prayers for the deceased. Christians would set aside a day or two in November to tidy the graves of their departed loved ones from earlier years.
All Souls Day, also known as the Day of the Dead, is a unique celebration we celebrate in honor of our dearly beloved. Most people around the world observe All Souls' Day on November 2nd. We honor our deceased loved ones who have departed on this day. How do Filipinos remember their deceased loved ones?
Here are some of the All Souls Day Filipino traditions:
This particular holiday is well-known as "Undas" in the Philippines. In the culture of the Philippines, celebrating All Souls' Day as a family holiday has long been a tradition. Filipinos get together on this day to honor and remember their departed family members and loved ones.
Honoring those who have passed away deeply
It's already customary for many people, especially Filipinos, to pray and visit graves on All Saints' and All Souls' Day in remembrance of loved ones who have passed away. Some decide to travel earlier or later in November because most people visit the cemetery on November 1st.
Millions of people visit graves each year to honor their deceased loved ones. Families frequently repaint or repair headstones or other buildings days in advance. On the day of the visit, some people will also clean and sweep the graves. After that, families are free to start prayer vigils, stay overnight, or wait until dusk.
Taking out-of-town trips.
Road vacations offer the chance to pay respects at ancestors and relatives' graves located in rural areas. It's also an opportunity to take a quick vacation and visit with locals. If you happen to find yourself in the Mountain Province, you may even get to see some of the local customs and traditions, like when visiting the panag-apoy of Sagada. It is not customary in the religious tradition to light candles. Rather, the people light wooden bonfires over their loved ones' tombs.
Expressing respect by providing the departed with food and flowers
People customarily leave food and flowers at the graves of departed loved ones on All Saints' and All Souls' Day. People are said to perform this deed during the Undas celebration in the country in order to cheer up the spirits of the deceased. Giving food as a gift is less prevalent in the Philippines than giving flowers. When it comes to flowers, people either buy or make their own arrangements utilizing the dead's most cherished blooms.
Apart from Valentine's Day, flower businesses and fruit booths benefit greatly from Todos Los Santos. It is customary to believe that giving gifts cheers the spirits. People frequently give little mementos to the deceased. Offering the departed their favorite food and laying it on their grave or in front of pictures at home is an older custom known as atang.
Putting together a small feast.
During Undas, people travel from all across the nation to visit cemeteries. As a result, the otherwise solemn occasion turns into an unplanned family get-together. And without food, what would be a Filipino get-together? The main event of the handaan becomes the sharing of stories, memories, and potluck meals in remembrance of the departed. However, it doesn't have to be ostentatious or decadent. A straightforward menu with food vendors, the beloved one's preferred merienda, would suffice.
On All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, family "mini-reunions" take place when some people travel back to their hometowns to visit the cemeteries of their ancestors. Filipinos typically take advantage of this opportunity to plan and serve meals that the entire family can savor.
Prayers for the departed.
Of course, for many Filipinos, offering prayers for the deceased is the main reason for All Saints Day. Filipinos typically burn candles and say prayers for their departed loved ones when they visit a dead loved one's tomb to pay their respects.
Images and lit candles or incense
It's customary to light memorial candles or incense sticks and say an All Saints' Day prayer in front of pictures. For people who are unable to visit cemeteries located in remote areas, it is a suitable substitute. Usually, pictures are found on an altar table at home with food and candles. Offering mass intentions to visit neighboring parishes and churches is an additional choice.
At home, you can pray and honor them by lighting candles in front of their portraits. This can be done at home on an altar table with some soul-salvation prayers said.
Tell some music and stories.
Did your departed loved ones have a favorite genre of music or literature? Was there a story you could share about the family every time you got together? This is the perfect day to spend with your kids and spouses, intentionally enjoying and remembering their favorite songs or family memories. Seize the opportunity to cherish your traditions and invest some time in your loved ones.
Dressing up and celebrating Halloween
It's not a native custom to go trick-or-treating in costumes. But now, it's a commonly recognized procedure. Give your children the opportunity to participate in costume competitions, Halloween parties, and candy collections once you've scheduled your Undas commitments. Even better, you could costume them as their preferred saint!
Filipino families and Undas
Families have the chance to gather and spend time together during this period, as schools are off for the semester. While the adults traded stories and played cards, or mahjong (a Chinese game), the children would play with their cousins. In the 1980s, young people's favorite pastimes were flying kites and capturing dragonflies. Known for their passion for singing, Filipinos frequently bring guitars to the cemetery to provide entertainment.
Everyone arranges the tables for the numerous foods prepared for the day as lunchtime draws near. Usually, it has their favorite food from the deceased loved one. As a sacrifice for our deceased friends and loved ones' souls, we place a dish of food in front of the tomb or grave. Additionally, priests would gather to visit each grave in the cemetery to bless them and give prayers.
Sharing food is another aspect of this custom. Popular foods, including adobo, boiling corn, fruits, spaghetti, cookies, chips, and sandwiches, can all be packed. To simplify the preparation process, grab some Lady's Choice Sandwich Spread. Use it as a dressing for chicken burgers or on pandesal. You need to choose baon foods that will not spoil soon because some guests stay for hours at a time.
Cemetery Etiquette to Remember:
Stepping on grave markers is considered quite impolite. Steer clear of stepping on someone's burial site and move between headstones.
Avoid littering! Clean up as you go.
Keep pets indoors. If you must, bring food to them, make sure their waste is properly disposed of, and keep them on a leash.
Loud music has no place in a cemetery. Please leave your radio and karaoke machine at home and keep your voice down.
Monitor children. That means not playing around, running, or shouting. Instruct them to treat others with decency and empathy.
Steer clear of card and board games. A no-no for bingo!
On All Saints' Day, things can get busy, especially if you go to a lot of public cemeteries. If you go a few days before or after the holiday, you can avoid the stress and strain. If you arrive early, there are more parking spaces and fewer crowds. Furthermore, a more subdued atmosphere for reflection and prayer is to be expected. Plan a straightforward picnic with your family and bring traditional salads and sandwiches that are simple to prepare and carry.
For more information on Vista Residences, email [email protected], follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, or call the Marketing Office at 0999 886 4262 / 0917 582 5167.
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