The Feast of All Saints

IN the early days of Christendom, when there were still very few saints, it was easy for Christians to celebrate the anniversary of the death of a saint. When there were far too many saints already to assign a separate day to each, the Catholic Church decided to appoint a common feast day to honor all the saints. Known in the western world as the Feast of All Saints, the first of November is more commonly called here in the Philippines as All Saints’ Day.

Originally intended to honor Christianity’s martyrs, it somehow evolved, for some reason, into a celebration in honor of departed relatives and loved ones, now called Todos los Santos, undas in Tagalog, and Adlaw sa Patay or Kalag-kalag in Cebuano. Considered an important holiday as well as a day of obligation, it is probably the fourth most important holiday in the Philippines, after Christmas, New Year’s Day and Holy Week. During the days prior to the first of November, cemeteries both public and private undergo major cleaning, and tombs and gravestones are cleaned and polished.

The celebration of All Saints’ Day, in a way, starts the day before, on Oct. 31. Families start to congregate in cemeteries and memorial parks on this day, probably more to stake a claim on as much space as they can, since space is at a premium at most burial grounds. Tents or canopies are put up, food is prepared and rest areas are assigned. Woe to those who prepare for All Saints’ Day late, or not at all, as they may find themselves short of space, or even worse, arrive at their family plot with no place to stay.

Though it is not really commemorated in the Philippines, the overnight stay at the cemeteries also acts as an impromptu celebration of Halloween.The day itself has come to have a festive atmosphere, with loud music playing, people milling about, friends hanging out together, families having picnics and children playing games. All Saints’ Day also attracts vendors hawking all sorts of wares, from food to candles to trinkets and various odds and ends.

In private memorial parks, stalls are even rented out by the management to major fast food chains, capitalizing on the large number of people who would need food and refreshments as the day goes on. Sometimes, the memorial parks become a tiangge or marketplace, much like the atmosphere at the public cemeteries. Because of this, members of the older generation have begun to frown about the seeming commercialization of what used to be an extremely solemn occasion.Traditions within the tradition of celebrating All Saints’ Day also abound.

Old timers warn about restless spirits looking for another place to haunt and following the visitors back to their homes. To ward off these spirits, cemetery visitors are encouraged to envelop themselves in smoke, the practice of which is called palina in the vernacular. Usually, piles of burning grass are placed at the entrances of cemeteries so everyone has to pass through the smoke, fulfilling the purpose of palina whether one wants to or not. Other, less scary practices are followed by Filipinos during this day.

In some small towns in the provinces, All Saints’ Day is an occasion to dress up in new clothes, and socialize with relatives and friends. The collection of wax drippings by small children, while not really a tradition in the real sense, has been practiced for so long that it has become an integral part of All Saints’ Day.

The wax drippings are formed into a ball, and the child with the biggest ball of wax at the end of the day earns bragging rights for having, well, the biggest ball of wax.While the reason we Filipinos visit our dead on a day meant to honor the saints remains unclear, one thing remains true about All Saints’ Day. It reaffirms our ties with family members, whether living or dead, and shows that tradition is still alive in the Philippines, even during the Day of the Dead.