All Soul's Day and Epitaphs On Grave Markers
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45628)
Philippines
November 4, 2015 4:39am CST
November 2 was All Soul's Day here, so we went to the cemetery to visit departed family members, light candles and pray for them. We bought baskets of flowers from roadside sellers leading to the entrance.
Although we rented a tent and tables from the caretaker, we also bought extra tables, plastic chairs, food and beverages. Events like these also serve as mini-reunions, so there's also a lot of news-sharing and hilarious reminiscing. 
Oh, and here are some of the epitaphs on the grave markers there:
"The Lord have you in His divine keeping."
"Your memory remains in our hearts forever."
"With love and prayers from husband and children."
"You shall live in us and in the lives of all others who knew you."
Oh, and here are some of the epitaphs on the grave markers there:
"The Lord have you in His divine keeping."
"Your memory remains in our hearts forever."
"With love and prayers from husband and children."
"You shall live in us and in the lives of all others who knew you."31 people like this
25 responses
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
4 Nov 15
a get-together to eat and catch up. we're there morning to late afternoon. some stay overnight.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23660)
•
4 Nov 15
@hereandthere Is it a common practice there in the Philippines?
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
4 Nov 15
We celebrate All Saint´s Day the 1st of November. Young people don´t do that much and are more into the imported Halloween which, to me, is only a pagan holiday void of significance for us here.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
4 Nov 15
@marguicha all saint's day is also nov 1 here, but yes, it seems more and more filipinos are adopting halloween here.
2 people like this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
6 Nov 15
I am glad you made such a good time of it all and no doubt wandered around and enjoyed reading those epitaphs. I'm sure that if those departed souls were around to watch they would have been pleased to see how happy their relatives were.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Nov 15
@knehknah by the time we set up everything and everyone's present, it's lunchtime so we tend to eat first.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Nov 15
@KnehKnah because we go there midmorning then leave late afternoon.
2 people like this
@KnehKnah (3582)
• Philippines
7 Nov 15
@hereandthere You had lunch at the cemetery? Wow! We had only dinner & nonstop snacks thereafter. Ha! Ha! Ha!
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
5 Nov 15
@judyev our plots are in a private memorial park, but i know the old public cemeteries here are supercrowded and look haphazard.
more filipinos are now open to cremation and more crematoriums are being built.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
4 Nov 15
must be a very moving experience to see so many people visit the graves at once like that. We have no such day in my country
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
4 Nov 15
@sofssu individual mourners visit graves frequently often on dates like the birthdays of the deceased or family members, wedding anniversaries and Christmas but there is no set day of the year here in Britain for mass visits to cemeteries
2 people like this
@sofssu (23660)
•
4 Nov 15
@arthurchappell I am sure that the Catholics there do that.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
6 Nov 15
That's interesting to know. I can't imagine people bringing food and having reunions at the cemeteries here though.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 i notice that those who have chinese blood light incense sticks, leave food and tapes strips of colored paper to the tomb.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
6 Nov 15
@hereandthere Oh yes I think they do that in their cemeteries, not sure if it's considered a sacrifice or something.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
4 Nov 15
I have to admit I love the idea of all souls day, much more than americanized halloween
2 people like this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
6 Nov 15
I've always looked forward to this event. Unfortunately in my current country, it's not widely practiced.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Nov 15
@vickyrose if it's not considered a national non-working holiday in oz, then maybe schedule it some other time when others are also available? but then, cemetery policies would probably be different, too, so there's a limit to what you can do while gathered there.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
5 Nov 15
@crk109 cemeteries are like big open parks, green, breezy, spacious, quiet. i've heard of people who jog there if they live nearby. no need to check for cars too. 
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
9 Nov 15
My Filipino friends tell me about this - and they miss having this family gathering as they cannot do that here (not only are families scattered here, but those who are no longer with them are in the cemeteries in the Philippines). But it is a tradition/ritual they think of when getting into the "ber" months! Are there special foods eaten at this time?
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
9 Nov 15
We used to do that way back when we still have the tent. but as time passes by the reunions became fewer and fewer. like during the all saints day I was just there painting his name and stayed for only three hours. It could have been longer but I started feeling dizzy
. But the important is that i get to spent time with grandpa at least for a day.
. But the important is that i get to spent time with grandpa at least for a day.1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Nov 15
@enlightenedpsych2 really? so how do catholics in the US celebrate all saint's day and all soul's day?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
9 Nov 15
@enlightenedpsych2 were your friends filipinos and were they allowed to do that in cemeteries in the us?
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
5 Nov 15
Reunions are nice. I have never known of any taking place in a cemetery.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
9 Nov 15
That's a nice tradition. I remember going to the cemetery with my father when we were kids.
