All Saints Day
By pheenkeesh
@pheenkeesh (103)
Philippines
October 30, 2012 1:09pm CST
For all Filipinos out there, All Saints Day and All Souls Day's just around the corner. What do you usually do?
Our family custom is just quite simple. It's weird that All Saints Day is only our official family reunion (we rarely meet on Christmas or New Year). And I'm not really in the mood to meet them. I barely even know my departed relatives: great-grandparents and grand aunts. But I still join the family. We go to the cemetery late at night to avoid the heavy traffic. We say prayers for each grave and recite the rosary. After that, we go on a food trip. There are a lot of food booths in the cemetery. You could easily mistake the place for a night market. So after eating, the family catches up on each others' lives.
As for me, I've been collecting candle wax for my giant wax ball... It's something I started doing as a child :D How about you guys?
3 people like this
3 responses
@subhojit10 (7375)
• India
30 Oct 12
Thanks a ton for sharing this discussion. Well glad to know about the All Saints Day and All Souls Day and the way it is being celebrated at your place. We usually do not celebrate such days but it was great to hear how u guys meet once in a year on this day and how u all take food together and sneak into each others lives at the end. It is good that u all are following this tradition and i think u should also actively support your family on this day.
What say?
@pheenkeesh (103)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
I think this event is celebrated by Catholic nations. We put so much importance on family that it's somehow a requirement to meet up with them at least once a year. Today and yesterday are those usual days. How about you, do you often meet with your extended family members?
@Chispa514 (871)
• Montreal, Quebec
30 Oct 12
Well I'm not Filipino, but in my family we do "celebrate" All Saints day and all souls day. We usually go to the cemetery and light a candle by the graves of our loved ones, say a few prayers, then head back to a family members' house for dinner and an evening of reminiscing about our departed loved ones.
This year though, since my grandmother can't make it to the cemetery (she's 92 and can't walk very well), and since the weather is supposed to be rainy all week, we're just gonna light a few candles here at home, say our prayers, just as if we were at the cemetery, and then family will come over thursday evening to my place for dinner and our usual reminiscing of our departed loved ones.
Been doing it since I was young, and I want to keep the tradition going with my daughter.
@pheenkeesh (103)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
I didn't know that other countries also have All Saints and All Souls Day. We also do the same things: lighting candles and praying. It's lucky that it wasn't raining when we arrived at the cemetery. Thanks for sharing, I also hope to keep the tradition going a few year from now :)
@riyauro (6421)
• India
30 Oct 12
oh that sounds fun. I have not celebrated it myself anytime and I have no idea about it. Wow you make wax ball. that is great. I would love to learn it too. I do know little bit of candle making. it is fun to have it in different shapes using the moulds. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead..
@pheenkeesh (103)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Traditionally, we observe this day by visiting graves of our deceased relatives and friends. We offer flowers, lighted candles and prayers to them. The wax balls I make are not that special. I just make them from boredom if I don't like talking to relatives I barely know :D It's just from melted candles molded into a ball by hand. Usually I get burnt when the wax is too hot :P
Have a wonderful day too :)
