All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
November 1 and November 2
By: Ronan Vergara
Being Orientals, the Filipinos commemorate “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day” (November 2) in a very colorful fashion. Some prefer to stay shortly at a temporary housing in Novaliches to be able to reach Holy Cross Memorial Park; and stay overnight after the typical family gathering.
As a child, I recalled tagging along with my friends to sing the “Pangangaluwa” (a folk song about souls asking for alms) in front of households on evenings prior to November 1 – All Saints’ Day. At the event of the commercialization of “All Saints’ Day”, big malls are opened – thus it is easy for families traveling here and there to get access to basic services.
We usually take a time off as early as 30 October 2019 if we need to visit our family members who departed from this life to the next Life. Families typically use houses near the place where they need to visit, especially if the place is far from their homes.
Typically the employees of malls and other establishments who work during All Saints’ Day take time to visit their departed loved ones on 2 November 2016.
Family Happenings
We’d get coins, and if we’re lucky, some “suman” (glutinous rice cake) as a reward for singing- this is known as “pangangaluluwa”.
All Saints Day and All Souls Day is a venue for reunions in the Philippines. The typically silent cemetery booms to life as thousands, even millions, of people flock and meet their relatives, both living and dead. Food and drinks overflow, but liquor is banned to prevent any alcohol related violence in the crowded cemeteries. Typically non-working holidays start October 30 till 2 November 2017. However the official holidays for this year start on 31st October to 1 November 2016 only.
Most Filipinos adhere that when a relative dies faithful to God and successfully received the last sacrament and was ready to meet his Creator- All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day is a family event and reunion.
A plenary indulgence is gifted to those who offer Catholic Holy Mass to their departed loved ones starting 1 November 2016 till the end of November.
Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints" (https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/general_conditions.htm) 3 October 2016
Stories alongside fits of laughter are exchanged amidst the fiesta atmosphere. Some Filipinos even turn instant entrepreneurs in selling food, cleaning tombs, and gathering melted candle wax (Yes, there’s profit even in candle drippings!).
Do you want to share the same experience? Then come home.
With the swell of people, you got to find the best place to stay temporarily. If you’re coming over Novaliches, Quezon City area, you may opt to reside temporarily in the fully furnished apartments in the city. A good number of apartments there offer short term rentals, so you would definitely have a place to stay as you celebrate this one of a kind Filipino tradition.
By: Ronan Vergara
Being Orientals, the Filipinos commemorate “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day” (November 2) in a very colorful fashion. Some prefer to stay shortly at a temporary housing in Novaliches to be able to reach Holy Cross Memorial Park; and stay overnight after the typical family gathering.
As a child, I recalled tagging along with my friends to sing the “Pangangaluwa” (a folk song about souls asking for alms) in front of households on evenings prior to November 1 – All Saints’ Day. At the event of the commercialization of “All Saints’ Day”, big malls are opened – thus it is easy for families traveling here and there to get access to basic services.
We usually take a time off as early as 30 October 2019 if we need to visit our family members who departed from this life to the next Life. Families typically use houses near the place where they need to visit, especially if the place is far from their homes.
Typically the employees of malls and other establishments who work during All Saints’ Day take time to visit their departed loved ones on 2 November 2016.
Family Happenings
We’d get coins, and if we’re lucky, some “suman” (glutinous rice cake) as a reward for singing- this is known as “pangangaluluwa”.
All Saints Day and All Souls Day is a venue for reunions in the Philippines. The typically silent cemetery booms to life as thousands, even millions, of people flock and meet their relatives, both living and dead. Food and drinks overflow, but liquor is banned to prevent any alcohol related violence in the crowded cemeteries. Typically non-working holidays start October 30 till 2 November 2017. However the official holidays for this year start on 31st October to 1 November 2016 only.
Most Filipinos adhere that when a relative dies faithful to God and successfully received the last sacrament and was ready to meet his Creator- All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day is a family event and reunion.
A plenary indulgence is gifted to those who offer Catholic Holy Mass to their departed loved ones starting 1 November 2016 till the end of November.
Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints" (https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/general_conditions.htm) 3 October 2016
Stories alongside fits of laughter are exchanged amidst the fiesta atmosphere. Some Filipinos even turn instant entrepreneurs in selling food, cleaning tombs, and gathering melted candle wax (Yes, there’s profit even in candle drippings!).
Do you want to share the same experience? Then come home.
With the swell of people, you got to find the best place to stay temporarily. If you’re coming over Novaliches, Quezon City area, you may opt to reside temporarily in the fully furnished apartments in the city. A good number of apartments there offer short term rentals, so you would definitely have a place to stay as you celebrate this one of a kind Filipino tradition.
Comments
Post a Comment