I remember during this time of the year, Me and my family are flocking with the thousands of people at the Manila North cemetery to visit our departed love ones. We even do “cemetery-hoping” to reach those who are in other cemeteries. This has been a common Filipino tradition every All Saints’ day (November 1) and All Souls’ day (November2). All Saints Day is a widely celebrated religious Holiday in the Philippines very similar to the Mexican Tradition of “Día de los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead,” which also includes All Souls Day.
It is said that All Saints’ Day can be traced back to the Greek Christians in the fourth century when they participated in a festival in tribute to all martyrs and Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is believed that the date of November 1st was chose to replace the Festival of the Dead which is primarily celebrated by the Pagan belief. All Saints’ Day was later tied with All Souls Day in 993 CE in Cluny at the monastery. These two festivals were specifically created to pay tribute to deceased relatives and loved ones and rapidly gained popularity amongst Christians all over the world.
Weeks before this holiday, Filipinos go to their respected cemeteries to clean the graves of their love ones. They beautify the surroundings for those special days. Families decorate the tombs with candles, flowers, and some with things that would remind them of their love ones. Others would just repair and repaint the damage that have happened to the tomb over time, and just put simple candles in front of the tomb.
During this time, families take advantage of the holidays to reunite with relatives and friends while visiting their demised love ones at the cemeteries. Some even travel back to their respective provinces to visit and pay respect to their departed loved ones They would have potlucks and eat and drink and catch up, or simply reminisce times when their loved ones are still alive. They do these things as they stay at the graveyard for more than two hours and even stay there overnight. Yes, overnight as they vigil and sleep in the graveyard with the other relatives while celebrating the All Saints and All Souls Days.
Others take the opportunity of the long holiday to relax and get away from their usual day-to-day routine. They plan a simple family staycation or a barkada get together months before the season to relieve them of the hassle of the metro even for a short period of time. While others are celebrating the season outside, some just preferred to spend the holidays at the comfort of their homes.
Whether you’re one of us who joins the flocking people in the cemeteries, on a get-away with friends and families, or you’re one of the home-buddies during this event, we are prone to stress and it might ruin our precious holidays. In these times I always carry my Oleia Topical oil at hand to keep myself stress-free and ready to combat pain away, fast and natural.
About The Author
Andrea is a full time home maker. When she is not busy taking care of her husband and kids, she goes out giving financial management talks. She is a proud breastfeeding mom for four years running and an avid Oleia Topical Oil user.
