Getting ready for UNDAS (all saints day)
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
Philippines
October 31, 2012 1:03am CST
Hello Lotters
I could not really concentrate on my mylotting because of this nearing All saints day or Undas in Filipino.
it's a tradition of Filipinos visiting the dead for one day, some visit early, some at the exact day. I went to the cemetery today because it was my Grandpa's brithday. did some cleaning on his tomb and picking up leaves. i put flowers and a candle that was used last year.
Tomorrow, November 1, we will setting up another tent, but this time, it's going to be smaller one this time. because last year we didn't get to use the other one because it was too big for us. but the dilemna now is that we haven't tested it yet.
hope things would work out tomorrow. better burn some songs, because I will be using my old discman, my phone's usb for ear phone isn't working.
10/31/12
1:56pm
1 person likes this
15 responses
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
31 Oct 12
We have beautify our family graveyards and done extensive renovations to the graves of our great great grandparents and that of my father. This year all saints day would see a grandeur celebration as a priest will be present to say prayers and at the same time to launch the ground breaking ceremony of a new church named after my mom who graciously donated the land for the church.
1 person likes this
@gaiza12 (4884)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
I really envy those who could do the cleaning of tombs for their love ones who has passed away. I can't do this yearly because my relative graves are in our province and I am working even on holidays. I even can't visit their tombs every year. But, I do make sure I pray for their souls, offer a mass, light a candle for them during their day or during all souls day.
@gaiza12 (4884)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
I can find time to go to the province if I really wanted to. I love my relatives who has passed away and I miss them but travelling too long is really not my thing, I get travel sickness and I have work. I'm sure they will understand and I'm sure they can see that I am not forgetting them. At least I offer them my prayers and love as well.
@rog0322 (2829)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
31 Oct 12
Right, best thing to do on this day, pray for the departed loved ones. I have stopped going to the cemetery altogether, not that it is far but I find no reason to be there and gaze at the silent tombs. Better devoting time to work, more productive too.
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
i'm gonna start doing flower arrangements tonight depending on what flowers we would be able to buy later. then i'll incorporate the orchids we currently have in bloom in the garden to give it a more personal touch. we have lots of candles bought weeks ago so that one is covered.
some of my relatives would be arriving tonight and the rest we'll just see at the cemetery tomorrow.
the next 2 days for sure will be crowded.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello Myles, oh damn talk about flowers, the smallest ones cost 100 pesos or two dollars, that's just too much i think. well, it won't be crowded the day after, it's just people with too many things to do i bet. well, for me as long as i can give flowers and candles to him in his grave. right now am busy burning songs so that it can lessen my boredom
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
ironically more people visit the cemetery on all saints' day rather than all souls' day.
good thing our garden had a bit of orchids. it would lessen the cost of flowers. traditionally, we make at least a dozen arrangements for our dearly departed. and we make our own even if we buy most of the flowers.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Hello mimiang, it can be tiring if your the one setting up the tent and then stay there for the whole day. not to mention it was really damn hot and too warm for me. apart from that we had trouble getting home too.
it can be tiring if your the one setting up the tent and then stay there for the whole day. not to mention it was really damn hot and too warm for me. apart from that we had trouble getting home too. 
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
31 Oct 12
Hiya LK.,
Tomorrow it will be All Saints Day too as you know it as well. Lots of People go to the Cemetery so it will be over crowded here too.
I prefer to think of them as they were and keep them in my heart and send love to them that way.
If I went to England and placed Flowers there they would be disposed of right away by the Family so instead I send them mentally a bunch of the flowers that they liked while they were here.
I respect people´s traditions but in Spain although its All Saints Day every ten years you have to pay a certain amount of money for the niche otherwise that is disposed of too and you can never get it back again.
Your ceremonies sound wonderful to me.xxx
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
31 Oct 12
Hiya LK.,
Have just come back from a nearby town and they were already in the Cemetery putting their flowers in the niches and so on there were quite a few of them too.
I guess they do that now to avoid crowds especially in the small towns and villages over here.
Lots of white flowers were being carried by a lot of Women there so I think they went to say some kind of mass too.xxx
@emerillus (467)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
I don't know if it is true, but some people go to the cemetery aside from offering a mass and novenas because their dearly departed appeared to them in a dream demanding to be visited. Well I guess it's different for some. For me, it's enough that I prayed for them and offered a mass whenever I could not go to the cemetery because I'm busy with my job, but since I can get away from it for a while, I think I'll visit the tombs of my grandparents tomorrow.
Have a nice day and safe trip to the cemetery!
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello emerillus, my grandpa was a good person so i don't think he would warn me not to visit him because we usually visit him every year. i don't recall our family missing a year visiting him. ther's nothing wrong with praying. as long as you remember them, they won't have to visit to remind you of them
@emerillus (467)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Your grandpa is truly loved by your family. While you said there's nothing wrong with prayer, it is actually what the souls need most, not the candles or flowers or food. I wondered yesterday why some families camp on the cemetery grounds complete with tents, and a buffet complete with an enormous lechon. Yum! I sometimes envy them that their families could get together like that, but at the cemetery! Must be an annual family reunion, they really must love their dearly departed so much that they want him or her to take part in the reunion.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
We have to hire someone to do the cleaning of the tombs of my grandparents since they're buried in a cemetery (or memorial park) in the province. Well, there's not much really to clean. The park is always well-kept and maintained. They'll just set up a tent-like cover. We still visit on November 1. There are lots of people but it isn't that crowded. But I guess in a few more years, we might be considering not going there on that date :)
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello beamer88, would have been cool to just hire some one for the cleaning of the tomb. we haven't painted it last year so might do it this year which is so cool. we might as well go early and set the tent before it gets to crowded for me. though small, it still needs two people to set it up.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Done my duties to my forefathers, too. No one can make me visit the cemetery on Halloween, nor on the 1st of Nov. Too crowded for comfort.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello Eileenleyva, we still have to come back tomorrow because others have not visited yet. i have only cleaned the tomb, i hope i can buy muriatic acid again and some gold paint so that i could color my grandpas tomb letters. indeed too crowded, and not to mention, there's a lot of people asking us to color our tombs but i know it's expensive
@arystine (1273)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
The coming days will be hard for me, as we will be visiting the tombs of my departed loved ones. :( But in some ways, Undas is some kind of a reunion with your relatives. Seeing my relatives will lessen the pain of visiting and reminiscing our loved ones. From November 1-3, we will be visiting different cemeteries because my loved ones are buried in different localities. :(
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Hello arystine, Yes it has come to my attention that undas or all saints days is that every one in that family gets together. not to mention they have their kids with them. Wow, you'd be very busy from Novemeber 1 to 3? you must have a huge family there to begin with. as long as you have the money or the vehicle for transportation, that wouldn't be a problem.
Yes it has come to my attention that undas or all saints days is that every one in that family gets together. not to mention they have their kids with them. Wow, you'd be very busy from Novemeber 1 to 3? you must have a huge family there to begin with. as long as you have the money or the vehicle for transportation, that wouldn't be a problem. 
@Metatronik (6199)
• Pasay, Philippines
31 Oct 12
We don't usually go to cemeteries during that date because of expected crowd. I've never been in cemetery during November 1 nor 2. Usually we are going the first week of November.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello Metatronik, it's the day off of my brothers and their wives so i guess i got no choice but to attend on the said date. well, in our place, it's not much of a crowd but it will help seeing and talking to some people out there. so, which day in november? probably after november 1. maybe we should do that because it's pretty darn crowded every nov. 1
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
I will pop in my grandma's and say a little prayer and candles. I assume that most of my relatives will be coming in their own time. Unfortunately, I am working on that day. No holidays for me. Anyway, I tihnk that I have been visiting grandma's over the year since I felt she was my only confidant. I just hope that no rain will fall. I could tolerate sunlight on a crowded place but rain is another matter.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Hello Jeanneyvonne, that's good for you lighting up candles and say a little prayer for your grandma. well, with what happened to us was a FULL sunny day through the whole day. my elder nephews and niece actually tried to settle in the tent a bit longer but they couldn't because it was too hot and then they might become a bit more asthmatic. It wasn't crowded as it used to be, but that's good because i could easily navigate.
that's good for you lighting up candles and say a little prayer for your grandma. well, with what happened to us was a FULL sunny day through the whole day. my elder nephews and niece actually tried to settle in the tent a bit longer but they couldn't because it was too hot and then they might become a bit more asthmatic. It wasn't crowded as it used to be, but that's good because i could easily navigate. 
@HeartROB (434)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Good for you. I guess tomorrow will be a busy day. Even the road and vehicles would be really crowded. Hope visiting tomorrow to the cementery would not be that hassle. The last time it was so traffic. We almost stayed on the road for 4 hours I guess. May we have a peaceful UNDAS tomorrow! Happy halloween!
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello HeartROB, it's not that far, but it's definitely going to be a huge traffice since there's going to be a lot of people going to the cemetery. but there's going to be more people too in the afternoon. I hope we get to have another peaceful undas tomorrow because even knifes are forbidden now
@toxic_lifestyle (1213)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Later, we will going to buy sets of candles and packs of foods for us to bring tomorrow in the cemetery. :)
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hello toxic, well, better buy some now because it's going to be expensive tomorrow and also the cost of these flowers. well, as long as the presence is there, no problem i guess to the family. its nice that we have this tradition, good luck and take care out thre.
@pheenkeesh (103)
• Philippines
1 Nov 12
We're going to visit our relatives later at night (around 10pm) to avoid the heavy traffic. Luckily (or for practicality), our dearly departed are all buried in the same cemetery. We're packing candles, flowers and grass cutters to clean the tombs before saying our prayers. Sometimes, we also clean the ones beside us if it's clearly neglected.
I hope things work out for you later :)
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Hello pheenkeesh,there are people out there who are way too busy with some thing else that they couldn't make time. unfortunately, the cemetery is probably close at that time. you know we couldn't do much after i started painting the tomb, so what my other friend who happens to be our mechanic was able to paint the other tomb beside us. the family will be in shock of their lives.
there are people out there who are way too busy with some thing else that they couldn't make time. unfortunately, the cemetery is probably close at that time. you know we couldn't do much after i started painting the tomb, so what my other friend who happens to be our mechanic was able to paint the other tomb beside us. the family will be in shock of their lives. 
