changing seasons

As I have said… we don’t officially celebrate Halloween in the Philippines. What we celebrate in the Philippines is All Saints’ Day. It is celebrated on the 1st day of November. All Saint’s Day is a day to commemorate our dearly departed. It is always declared as a non-working Holiday so people can pay their respect to their departed loved ones and take that traditional trip to the cemeteries.

All Saint’s Day is more religious in background. The Philippines being predominantly a Christian country follows a lot of religious customs and tradition and one of them is paying respect and praying for the souls of our loved ones. That is why we celebrate Halloween in the cemeteries during All Saint’s Day sans the costumes.

Kids gathering melted candles to turn into wax ball. [Photo Credit: Chris Gregerson]

The cemeteries during this religious celebration are mayhem of festivities. The cemeteries are the happiest place in the country during this time of the year. The cemeteries are the best place to hang out and turn into rendezvous places for people to catch up with the latest news among friends and families.

But prior to the celebration, there are lots of preparations to make. Just like here in the US before Halloween stores are also loading and overflowing with stocks of goodies for All Saint’s Day most specifically… candles. Lots and lots of candles are for sale. Candles in different colors, shapes, sizes and scents too. Candles are very important during this holiday because we bring them to the cemetery to light them up in the tombs. The cemeteries are bright and burning, literally and figuratively.

Aside from the candles, flowers in all varieties, colors, sizes and scents are also on display and are overwhelmingly expensive. Flowers are essential part of the celebration just like the candles. Flowers and candles are the handsome couples of the celebration. They are inseparable. They can’t be divorced from each other. They always go together and can’t be one or the other.

Prior to the celebration, the cemeteries are also prepared at least a week ahead. People go to the cemeteries to clean the tombs. They have to remove weeds growing around the tomb. They have to scrub the tombs. And they have to paint the tombs white. Oh well, this painting of the tombs are common in provinces where they have the traditional public cemeteries and not the modern memorial parks.

Religious Women offering prayers for the souls of the dearly departed. [Photo Credit: AP Photo by Aaron Favila]

And for the final detail of the celebration, offering of masses and prayers for the souls of the departed loved ones is the most important thing that will never be left out. There are some religious people that can say specific prayers for the soul and they would go around the tombs if you would like prayers said for your loved ones. In our case, I usually do it myself. I would pray the rosary and read special prayers from prayer books.

And lastly, All Saints Day is not just about the dead. It is also about the living. This is the time of the year where we usually meet again our relatives who live in the cities. This is a time for family get-together. This is the time for remembering the people we love and who once were very much in our presence. But most importantly, this is the time to celebrate life and appreciate those people who are still very much in our presence.

Additional Information:
All Saints Day
More Detailed Information on How to Celebrate All Saints Day in the Philippines
More Photos and Write up about All Saints day by Liza’s Eyeview

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