Remembering the dead on All Saint’s Day

Did you go to the cemetery today because today is All Saints Day. Because I did. I usually light some candles and say a little prayer remembering both my grandfathers, my uncle and some relatives which I still remember. But I can do it tomorrow it just I was so busy today. But I will tell you a little of what I can remember about this tradition.

Every November 1 Filipinos celebrates All saints day to commemorate or remember the dead member of the family. People usually go to the cemeteries bringing candles and flowers to their dead relatives. But days before that they go and clean and paint the tombs to prepare for the big day. This traditions originates from the catholic tradition during the old times but now its almost celebrated even by non catholics.

When I was young it was only my grandfather on my father side that we visited but we enjoy it because thats the time when we see all kinds of candles especially those big red candles with dragons which were brought by my uncle from Manila, they bought it from China Town. That around 10-12 mm in diameter and half meter long which we tried to make some balls out of the candle wax.

We really enjoyed this holiday because that the time where we can see and talk with relatives from different parts of the country. Coming from a small barrio I particularly loves to hear the stories about those people on the tombs and how we are related to them.

Today I don’t know if they still doing it but we have a tradition where the priest goes from house to house around and say a prayer for all our dead relatives. There were also some elders who can recite or sing in latin and we just give the names of our dead relatives. I think the prayer was to help the souls to go up in heaven if they are in the purgatories. Purgatories is where the soul stay when it can’t either go up or down to hell. If some of the living remembers them some of their sins will be forgiven. Well ok that’s a little bit hard for non catholic to understand but it will be nice that even if you’re dead and somebody still can remember you.

In Denmark they also celebrate All Saints Day on November and All souls Day the next Day since Catholicism was prevalent in the old days. Then during the reformation period it became just 1 day. But now slowly the young people are adopting the American tradition of Halloween or actually it was a European tradition since the Scottish and the Irish who brought that holloween tradition to North America. This new tradition just started out in the 1990’s brought by watching American sitcoms or TV series. But this time is good time for the Flower shops who sells flowers, candles and squash or pumpkin. In my son’s day care they make Jack o Lantern thats English tradition where they cut the pumpkin and inside they put a candle.

Young people thinks of Halloween as the time to party like classmates where the theme come like the Smurfs. Well I did not that party because when 10 to 15 years older than them is too hard to cope with craziness, drinking and smoking but I do attend class party once in a while.

They are still some Danes who visit the graveyards and bring candles and flowers like we do in the Philippines but without fanfares.

Like in Denmark some people in the Philippines who belongs to the upper class are already practicing the Americans Halloween’s traditions. I remember when I was still working in the construction industry. the streets of the high end subdivisions one can see some displays of various Halloweens themes and children’s dressed in various customs doing treat or treat. But it is not yet widespread because who can afford those expensive costumes and effects but only those on the higher status of the society.

Many people thought that tradition like Christmas and Halloween as a product of commercialism it is obviously true but it is op to us parents to decide what kind of traditions we gonna continue or not.

Traditions tell us stories and describes us what kind of people are we and sometimes they comes and goes but sometime they comes in a different twist.

How about you how do you celebrate Halloween?