All Saint's day and All sou's day
By asdomencil
@asdomencil (4265)
Philippines
October 31, 2012 8:08am CST
As tradition, November 1 was the day that many Filipinos goes to cemetery to visit their loved ones lied there. However, this day is called as "all saint's day" which supposed to be honoring the saints declared by the catholic church.
Furthermore, November two was considered as "all soul's day" which must be the day to remember our relatives that passed away.
I am just curious how they came into a tradition that november 1 or all saint's day is the day that most Filipinos visit cemetery instead of november 2.
What are your ideas about this one other fellow Filipino myloters?
2 people like this
6 responses
@namiya (1713)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
1. Based on Catholicism about.com site, this was based on old Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on anniversary dates of their martyrdom but when persecution increased the celebration honoring these martyrs was consolidated in a single feast. It was Pope Gregory III who instituted it to November 1 when he consecrated a chapel to all martyrs in St. Peters Basilica and ordered an annual celebration originally confined only to Diocese of Rome. Pope Gregory IV later extended and ordered an annual celebration to the entire church.
2. Why we normally visit cemetery on Nov. 1 and not 2? I don't know too, and this is just my personal opinion. Maybe we want to assume that all our departed loved ones are now saints hence, we choose to honor them on this date
.
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@zeedo666 (150)
• Poland
31 Oct 12
No, it's always the influence of former religions which christianity couldn't eradicate. They probably celebrated the passed away ones on that day. The same happens in case of almost all the christian feasts. Their dates coincide with the dates of "pagan" feasts, as it was much easier to change the name of the feast to more christian one than fight with people who were reluctant to abandon their traditions. Eg. those who analysed carefuly the Bible found that there is a passage that Jesus was born in the time of harvests so it was several months earlier than December 25, but before christianity many peoples had their feasts of solar gods reborning that day (it's the time of the longest night during the year after which the Sun "reborns" and days start to be longer). As a result they changed the date of Christmas to December 25.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
5 Nov 12
@namiya. I really wonder why Nov 1 is traditionally the date they visits their loved ones in cemetery.
@zeedo666 I agree with you, perhaps, some of the traditions are based or just coincides with the pagan feasts. Just like what you said, birth of Christ is definitely not december according the the description in the bible.
@namiya (1713)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
these may be the roots. And you are right not all the feast commemorating a Christian event including Christmas is the real one as some where only instituted as base when to honor or celebrate. I am not knowledgeable on this aspect and admire people like you who really take time to search for deeper knowledge. For me dates doesn't matter that much but depth of one's faith. Thanks for sharing this information. Have a good day
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
That's actually a good point. I've been wondering about that myself. I think a lot of us have been used to remembering our departed relatives and friends on a day where we're supposed to be honoring our saints. Maybe it's because we love and honor both our saints and our family/friends that it doesn't matter which day is which.
@silentwill (1685)
• Philippines
1 Nov 12
You mean to say most people there go to the cemetery on Nov 1 instead of 2 like in the Philippines? Which countries exactly does that?
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
@beamer, yes it was supposed to be honoring the saints and not the departed ones. You got a good point there though.
@zeedo666, I don't know about pagan traditions, maybe I would try to research on such tradition. I just wander, how do you get your username. ;-)
@silentwill, yes that was the tradition here in the Philippines, November 1 is the day that most people go to cemetery while November 2 is tha all soul's day. I don't know what are the other countries that does this tradition too.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I'm not Filipino, but I am Catholic. I took a special interest in All Soul's Day because it also happens to be my birthday. I remember that on November 1st, we would attend a special Mass to honor the saints, and then the following day, there was another special Mass to honor our lost loved ones. But I'm American.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
5 Nov 12
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. That was supposed to be the case based on the name of the holiday. I just wonder how they came up honoring their lost loved ones on the day where should be honoring the saints.
@anaknitatay (1335)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
that is a very good observation asd I wondered about the same thing when I was small.
my theory is, All Saint's Day goes before All Soul's Day so people when they arrive to their hometowns they take the opportunity to visit relatives as soon as possible to leave time for preparing to go back to the cities or enjoyingother aspects of their homecoming.
one thing i also noticed is that it is usually Nov. 1 that is declared a non-working holiday so this day is actually the best day to visit the cemeteries.
practical considerations have overtaken the significance of these holidays so instead of Nov. 2 All Soul's Day we visit our departed loved ones on Nov.1
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
I just observed that. Before there is no "All Soul's Day". I think this was started on the 90's as far as I remember because there are still many people visits the cemetery, some stayed their overnight.
I think now, Nov 1 and 2 were declared holidays this year. I just obeserved now, that some people does not want to join the huge volume of thos who visited the cemetery. some visited their loved one before or after 31st of october.
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hi asdomencil!
Most of the reasons that I've heard why others are going on the cemetery on November 1 is that they can already take rest on the following day in preparation to return to work on the next day after. However, the case this year which we were given 4 days of rest, I think others would consider going there on November 2.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
5 Nov 12
I guess you got a point. In our case, we visited our grandfather on November 1 and the following day, we visited my father-in-law since they lied in different locations.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Oct 12
Same today and tomorrow here in Mexico. I lost my mom last year. So Ill go to church tonight. Friday ill visit her grave site and have dinner with my brother. Have a good one there.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
31 Oct 12
Thanks for sharing that you do the same tradition there in your country as ours.
Have a good day too.
