I just got back from GenSan to visit my family. I went there to celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Its a big holiday here in the Philippines in honor or pay respects for our love ones who passed away. As what I’ve known since childhood that November 1 is All Saints Day in honor for the kids that died. November 2nd All Souls Day in honor for the adult love ones that died. There was no school(semester break) here for the kids for the said event. Most families will go home to the hometown where their love ones were buried. Like me, I have to go to GenSan for it.
I think really nowadays it doesn’t really matter which day you celebrate. A lot of people now celebrate the day that really is best for them. Like us, we have children and adults that passed. We went to the cemetery on the 2nd of November since one of my sibling has something going on in there church on the 1st. Some of my family members went to the graves on the first of November and didn’t come back to visit the next day with us.
I went to GenSan early morning of Monday. I went to the farm first and went to the graves of my grandparents and uncle on my Mom’s side of the family. I didn’t stay there that long because me and my siblings had to go to my parents’ and sister’s grave. We went there at 1pm and stayed for like 5 hours there. We brought some drinks and snacks. My nieces and nephews were there already waiting for us. It was really nice just chatting there and remembering my parents. It was fun seeing some people really having a big party there.
Restaurants like Jollibee, Pizza Hut, Greenwich, Dunkin Donuts and some other good restaurants even put up a temporary place there. It must be a hit for them, they would not come back year after year if its not making good money for them.
There’s even a layman (from Catholic church) who will pray (lead prayer) with the family there. I am not sure how much they are charging though. I didn’t ask my sister about it. I saw a lot of families asking those layman to pray with them in the graves. The cemetery place really caters now to the need of the people there. I saw lots of police securing the place inside the cemetery and outside which is nice. Also there were ambulances and red cross volunteers there. That’s why people stayed there overnight. I think the maintenance people were not too enthusiastic about cleaning the big mess that was left behind by the people. I saw people just throw away their garbage on the ground. Don’t even look for the garbage can to properly disposed of it. Oh well, pretty normal here.
Some mausoleum owners there even built room for sleeping. They really had big parties there. Those mausoleums are really costly. Some are even like over a million pesos just for the land. It was just fun for us watching the people there having party. Some even brought hammocks and slept on that. Really, in all honesty its really good that people of all ages showed respect to the love ones who passed on ahead of us.
It doesn’t really matter if your rich or poor for as long as you honor your love one on that day, that’s good enough already. My siblings just wished I brought my kids. It would be something for them to experience for the first time. Hopefully next year they can go and see what really the events for.
Hi Feyma – Emy & I totally agree and share your outlook. Staying a while and visiting with departed family members on All Saints' & All Souls' Days seems to make everything right with the world.
Hi Feyma – I am glad you shared with us your day. I am looking forward to experiencing All Souls' day with Juramie and her family in Palompom after we retire and move back to Leyte. Juramie was up early to attend Mass before going to the cemetary. Then her family headed up to Pamlompon to visit her Lola grave.
I have talked to several filipina babae here in the USA and they are a little blue because they miss spending the time with family and honoring relatives during the holiday.
Feyma,
Thank you for the insight into that part of your culture. From a western point of view, we honor our loved one too but we associate cemetaries with ghost and goblins(too many horror movies) and not a place to hang, and partying there is out of the question. I look forward too to experiencing it with Rowena and her family in Bayugan.
Wow, Feyma, I heard that this event to honor the dead in the Philippines is a big deal, but didn't realize it is really that big a deal until I read your very descriptive article and saw the pictures. You see, although I was born in the Philippines, I have never been in one of those celebrations. The pictures of people lying down on the grass with blankets and tents, food stands, and debris strewn about remind me of a typical July 4th fireworks celebration on the Washington Monument grounds, right Senn and Peter of Rockville, MD? With that kind of partying going on, I think it's just a matter of time before Filipinos will start thinking fireworks to put an exclamation point to the festive atmosphere. LOL
Thanks so much Feyma – This is one of those events I didn't think I would ever take part in, until I read your story. A FAMILY GET TOGETHER. Now that is important. I can remember when one of my mother's brother or sister would die. She was number 11 of 12! Tears? Yes but also happy times. Remembering what that soul meant to the rest. Maybe we folks here in the States should make a "habit" of these days. Maybe we would have stronger family ties. Thanks again Feyma, well done.
Hi Feyma – Oh, yes! We went to the cemetary a few times.
The day or two before were the traditional clean-up, paint, burn, etc. sessions to make things look nice as well as to take care of loved ones' resting places.
On the days themselves, there were many relatives (close and distant, live and dead) to visit as well as sit with those we hold closest. While we didn't stay overnight (as did our cousin the mayor and his family) we did stay late and partook in the sharing of the lechon and other delicacies with all.
We feel "so very good" now! 😉
Hi Jack – Yes mass is also a big thing before going to the grave. Lots of time during mass the name of the departed one be mention to be prayed. Just pay a bit for that. I don't think its that much though.
One thing for you to do when you come here to retire. Hopefully soon. 😉
I understand your Filipina friends in the States.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Good to see you again here.
Hi John – I know what you mean. To be honest I grow up in the farm that during All Saints & All Souls Day my parents will have a big party in the house not in the grave. We will go to the cemetery in the morning stay there for awhile, then go home and party in the house. But watching those people in the cemetery a few days ago really changed my mind. I guess next year we will have party there at my parents grave. Good luck to you with your wife's family when you spend with them.
Thanks for stopping by. Nice to see you here!
Take care!
Hi Edward Gary Wigle – I'm glad I enlightened a bit your mind about the celebration.
Gosh, with the family members you guys had that would really be a good potluck party. 😉
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Good to hear from you again here!
Take care and God bless!
Hi Paul – Hey good thing that you helped out the cleaning and stuff so that you would not feeling guilty of eating the lechon. Ha ha ha. 🙂
Now you have something to look forward too next year then. The helping and the eating. 😉 Kidding…
Take care Paul. Good to see you here again!
Hi Feyms,
Kalag-kalag in bisaya isn’t it? As for me, during all souls day just lit a candle (dagkot ug kandila) pray for my little sister & grandparents, just reminisce the good times we had since I can’t really visit their graveyards. My mom and the rest of the family cook a lot of food including their favorite biko to my grandparents/little sis for offerings, party and having a blast with out me…( I’m blue)..
Take care.
Do all religions celebrate this or just the Catholics?
Hi Ann – Yes it's kalag-kalag and with dagkot (lit up some candles). I brought with me big and small candles. Just have to watch out when candles burning it might burned the whole grass in the cemetery.
Some people do offerings to the departed love ones. Not sure when I was a kid if my parents do that kind of thing. They might have I just didn't noticed it.
Hey, maybe next time you visit the Philippines, you and family come here during this time. Good for your kids to experience it for the first time.
Good to see you my dear friend. Take care and God bless!
Hi Bill – It's really for Catholics. But like in our family just a few of my siblings are catholic now. It's okay though we do celebrate with them. Since my parents were catholic we will do the celebration in honor of them.
Thanks for stopping by. Keep reading!
Dear Feyma; I have learned so very much from you and bob and the LIP contributers.I could never thank you enough.my sweet wife does her best to educate me ,but haveing multiple sources of input is invaluable.can't wait to get to molugan(outside of opol,CDO)when we retire in about 8 years! i get to come tomeet her every other month,but its just not enough!!I love it there!keep up the good work and may god continue to bless.
helo ann, i once read your comment in martin column i know then that you have a house built in Maon. What a small world i am from Pangabugan nxt barangay of Maon. Hope to see you. mag stay na mi for good sa Butuan. By the way my husband is a Japanese.
Hi helen & Ann – Wow it's really a small world. You guys found each other here. Hope to meet up with both of you in Butuan. I hope anyway…
Take care and God bless!
Hi jamesjones – I am glad that you find our sites helpful to you. Keep reading. One thing I will say though lots of the people that comments here really goes out of there way to try to help anybody here that's in need. I am proud of all of them. We really are close family here on LIP.
Good luck to you and your wife. Hopefully we could meet up someday in CDO.
Good to see you here and thank you so much for stopping by!
Take care.