October 31-November 2
From Halloween to All Saints Day to All Souls Day!
The bottom line of these celebrations and commemorations is baseless.
Man created and established these religious rituals and rubrics to remember their loved ones and pay homage to the whiten tombs for psychological satisfaction.
Halloween is a paganistic way of commemorating the dead by the Celtics (aka Irish people) every October 31. This period is the end of summer and harvest time. Celtics celebrate 'halloween' by lighting candles, making bonfires at the beginning of sunset till midnight. Some Europian countries associated this pagan festival to the Christian feast of All Saints Day.
Halloween and All Saints Day are both man's creation and invention for camaraderie, business, indulgence (whether partial or plenary), catharsis and the like. As long as emotional and spiritual satisfaction are concerned.
All Saints Day is also known as All Hollows or Hollow Mas. The "All Saints Day" commemoration and feast is considered as 'holiday of obligation'for catholics and it was started and sactified by Pope Boniface IV (who transformed the temple of Venus to the temple of Virgin Mary in the year 609. The same Pope inaugurated and consecrated the Panthion of Rome to become a Christian Church on May 13, 609. This same day, he promulgate the commemoration of All Saints Day. The Pope choosed May 13 because this is a culmination day of the Lemures Festival in which disturbed and malevolent spirits were propitiated. Thus, the next day after All Saints Day is the day dedicated to All Souls. All these festival changes, conversions, and transformations are created and promounced by a single man - the Pope of Rome. The basis? Nothing but the Roman religion of the antiquity.
Before, the graveyard, camposanto or sementeryo is located kilometers or miles away from the residentian areas because ancient people believed that anyone who passed away belongs to the City of the Dead. Now, the graveyards are located in the heart of the cities where huamn dwells. Some Pinoy live inside the mausoleum and niche for free since most of these demarcated people have nothing to lay down at night time.
Most people believed that their loved ones who passed away visit and console them. Thier spirits roam around the cemetery to look their relatives, eat favorite foods, play cards and majong, and other mundane activities that satisfy their wants and insticts.
Flowers and candles, mass offerings and mass cards are common tokens to make "suhol" to their loved ones that reside somewhere over the rainbow....
People that visit cemeteries scrub niches and paints the outside trunk, but always forget to clean and dust the inside.
If you really love your loved ones rested in the niche... please clean it and put everything in order to prove that you truly loved the dead...
