I love living in this era of instant communication and wireless connections. I can talk to anybody halfway across the world in real time at no cost to me.
However, this technological advancement brings change, and as with any other changes, there’s a payback, and that’s the loss of some traditional practices that are replaced by commercialized activities adopted from other countries and cultures.
In cities across the Philippines, for example, more and more neighborhoods are doing trick and treat during All Saints Day. Are the children even aware why they’re dressing up in (oftentimes gory) costumes and going around, asking their neighbors for sweet treats, and saying Happy Halloween?
Our booklet of prayers and songs for the dead.
Parents buy the costumes, stock up on candies, and encourage their children to participate, all because they’ve learned of this activity from the media.
That’s why I look forward to going home in the provinces during the holidays. Nobody in our town is buying into the commercialized Halloween (yet), and on All Saints Day (November 1) or All Souls Day (November 2), whole families would troop to the cemeteries to pray for their dead, with the tombs already cleaned a few days before.
They would bring candles and rosaries, while some would bring food, either for themselves or to leave on the graves of their loved ones.
Our family prays for our dead loved ones.
Our family had lost a few beloved, including our father and grandfather. My parents bought a big lot in the cemetery for the family, and we would all go there—aunts and uncles and cousins and other relatives, bringing food and drinks.
Before the prayers would start, the head of the clan (usually my grandfather’s oldest son, my Uncle Pergen) would assign the various readers, and he would give us each a copy of the libretto of prayers that he had personally typed (with a typewriter!) years ago.
My brother lights a candle for our uncle.
We would go through the libretto, and sing the songs I had loved hearing when I was a child—my favorite was the “Old Rugged Cross,” and I would sing along with them, despite my definite lack of musicality.
After the prayers, all of us would ask for blessings from our elders by taking their right hand and bringing it to our forehead (we call it la mano), then eat, drink, and just talk to each other, sharing stories, and playing games.
The children would play and run around, the responsible ones would clean up, while some of us would visit the graves of friends and our friends’ families.
My father usually took care of starting the fire. We miss him a lot!
Once it would get dark, somebody would light a fire just in front of the mausoleum, using fresh grass to create a lot of smoke. Every member of the family then steps over the fire, even babies and small children are helped to do so.
My father told me that this is to make sure that the spirits of the dead won’t follow us back home, and everyone is required to do it, regardless whether they believe the practice or not.
Everyone has to go over the fire on their way home.
Yeah, our family and majority of the people in our town still practice these beliefs which other people may scoff at and call superstitious. Still, I would take it over the commercialized trick or treating, comforted by the thought that at least a lot of Filipinos are still aware of and practice their traditions.
As to until when this is done, though, I don’t know. Judging by the times, maybe by the next generation, all these will be gone.
Until then, I will observe All Saints Day the way my parents, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents had done it all these years ago.
How about you? How does your family observe All Saints Day?
Aleah Taboclaon is a location independent writer, editor, and the travel blogger behind Solitary Wanderer. She's partial to slow travel, and prefers extreme adventures like hiking and caving over sightseeing. She likes running (completed one marathon, training for the next!), diving (PADI open water diver), and traveling with her Kindle. Follow her on Instagram and Pinterest!
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19 Comments. Leave new
@ Ding: Haha sorry for the super delayed response! I was born in Tandag in Surigao del Sur 😀
That crossing over the smoke is new to me? Taga-saan ka Aleah?
@ Kara: We still have so many different practices all over the country. Nakakatuwang i-document.
@ Kuya Bon: Kahit here in Manila, I also do that (light candles). Marami pa rin naman din gumagawa, yun nga lang kumakalat ang komersyalismo ng Halloween.
Hi Aleah. During all soul’s day, me and family would just light candles at the door front or the door step and by 6 pm, we all pray together of the departed loved ones’ souls. By this practice, we expressed our love to them by saying prayers. I am not a fan of a commercialized thing like halloween. Just imagine, some of these people would say happy halloween and yet portraying some demonic figures? So sad to think of that. (Opinion).:-).
I didn’t know the custom about stepping over the fire. It seems similar to the tradition of passing babies and kids over coffins during wakes. Informative post! 🙂
@ Mitch: I haven’t experienced it as well, but by choice. hehe And that’s my little sister. I’m more than 10 years older than her 😀
@ Happy Sole: Yup, or at least, if they don’t observe, they remember.
it’s nice to know that people in the provinces still make it a point to preserve and practice old traditions.. hope the young ones continue to observe them. 🙂
I never experienced trick or treat coz of my religion. Kaya nung meron akong nakitang mga kiddos sa Makati, natuwa ako. hehe. Nakakalungkot pa rin pag nawalan ng loveones at pag sumasapit ang All Saint’s Day.. Very timing ang post na ito.
Ang kulet ng pagkatalon mo? hehe tama ba. Nevertheless, Filipinos are rich in culture and beliefs/ superstitions. Pero sana hindi ito pumigil sa pag grow nang mga Pinoy in this modern world..
i dont know abut the usok thingy but i do miss the All Souls Days in our province too. when our entire family goes to our loved-ones tombs and just light candles and offer flowers and from time to time we get reunited with other relatives and have some decent talk. this is a great entry Aleah.
Ivan, yup, we still have so many practices in existence today. I just hope the new generation are still aware of it and hopefully pass it on to the next.
kakaiba ‘to.. may tradition palang kelangan muna magpa-usok bago umuwi galing sa libing.
@ Mervz: Yup, at least that strong family bond is still there. We use the holidays as an opportunity to get together.
@ Claire: I can add to your list–birthdays and fiestas. hehe
All Saints Day is also synonymous with family reunion for us. It is one of the few times we get to see long lost relatives aside from special occasions like weddings and funerals. We mainly just eat, drink and catch up with each other after attending the mass held at the cemetery.
great post! i didn’t know that there’s such a tradition… all saint’s day is also one of the occasions in the Philippines that gather families together. let’s keep the tradition!
@ Koen: I have nothing against progress too, it’s just that I wish people would remain aware of their culture and stop assimilating completely. The Filipinos have so many beliefs and practices that are now a thing of the past because the new generation has already forgotten them (or haven’t learned them in the first place).
@ Gay: Nothing wrong with Halloween for me, as long as it doesn’t replace what we usually do to honor our dead, right?
I’m a huge fan of halloween, but I also like to keep the tradition of All Saints Day. And it’s something that’s really great to celebrate(?) with the whole family… like you do.
I also regret the fact that many of these old traditions will only become memories in the near future…being a nostalgic person myself, what society calls “progress” isn’t always better for our mental health…like you said Aleah, young people are dressing up, playing trick or treat without even knowing what it really means…commercialisation of old traditions often make my heart bleed. I have much respect for these people that hang on to those old traditions, practicing the old rituals, passed through from generation to generation…they often give us the opportunity to think about our own life and the choices we make; society becomes more and more a rollercoaster where you can’t get off once you’ve entered it…