An annual commemoration, like last week’s All Saints Day and All Souls Day, is oftentimes marked as a red-letter day for families and loved ones whose tradition of remembering and honoring those who have gone ahead continues. Some years back, Malacañang did not declare November 2 as a holiday, thus, office workers and other employees made do with visiting the tombstones and paying homage to their departed on November 1, and catching the next trip back to their work places on the same day.
As Filipinos, traditions that we hold dear are difficult, if not impossible, to discard. Despite the hustle and bustle of city life, and the challenges of making both ends meet, many of our countrymen still manage to make a beeline for home to be with their loved ones.
In Dumaguete, the private cemeteries of the Amigo-family owned Dumaguete Memorial Park in San Jose Extension and the Tijing-family owned The Gardens in Cadawinonan were transformed into virtual activities-teeming places with food and parlor games evident in most of the safely cordoned areas. While the merrymaking becomes more pronounced as the night wears on, some families choose to light candles and bring flowers early during the day. For the more devoted ones, they take it upon themselves to clean the surroundings of their dear departed’s tombstones, which can include repainting them, trimming the grass, or refurbishing their final resting places.
Taking after the American tradition of Halloween highlighted by a trick-or-treat activity, youngsters clad in costumes of all sorts hopped from one family group to the next. As a gesture of appreciation, some give out money, food, or goodies.
Not to be outdone are the public cemeteries, like the ones located in barangays Bogo and Bagacay that also teem with a multitude of families. Moreover, located in the city, too, are the Chinese cemetery in barangay Daro and the American cemetery also in Bagacay where a number of American missionaries and fraternal workers of yore have been buried, including the former manager of Station DYSR, Dr. Henry Mack. The traditions may differ in the Chinese and American cemeteries, but one thing is certain – the purpose and the reason for people who go there are one and the same.
Because All Saints Day and All Souls Day is a time when most private residences and homes may be left unattended, police enforcement agencies have taken it upon themselves to be highly visible during these times. Caution is given to the public not to flaunt their belongings or, better still, not bring any valuables in such public places. For those who may be gone for a few days, precautions have also been instilled, like making certain that doors and windows are locked and closed, including the installation of fog lights to ward off anyone who may attempt to enter forcibly or otherwise.
These twinbill celebrations, anchored on our Christian faith, have become part and parcel of our way of life. Both have their origin on the fact that we call upon the saints in heaven to give us intercession, thus, the commemoration of All Saints Day. Likewise, in our staunch belief of eternal life in heaven as well as the resurrection on God’s appointed time, we pray for the souls of our dear departed, and all those who matter in our lives, that they may attain peace and eternal rest.
It is at this time of the year that the living commune with the departed, even if they may be worlds apart, so to speak. While we continue to bask in the challenging world of the living, we also remember those who have come before us, and gone ahead, in the hope that they may look down upon us and guide us in our day-to-day struggles. | NWI
