HOW DO FILIPINOS CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE DEAD?
In November, some parts of the world especially the Philippines celebrate All Souls Day. In Cebu, we call this "Kalag-kalag" which means souls. Since it's a holiday, most of the people who are staying in the city go back to their provinces for All Souls Day and if they can't go back, most of them go to church and attend masses for the departed.
Days before the holiday, we went to the cemeteries to clean and repaint the graves of our loved ones in preparation for the holiday. We also harvested our flowers from our flower farms and sold them in the downtown area.
All Souls Day is also a perfect time to reunite with some of our relatives. Most of us gather to commemorate and respect the souls of departed loved ones. Moreover, in some parts of the Philippines, they hold reunions at the cemetery, have a feast, and stay overnight.
On November 1st, most of us in the countryside prepared the favorite food of our deceased loved ones and prayed the rosary while on November 2nd, we flock to the respected cemeteries to offer prayers, flowers, food, drinks, and so on for our deceased loved ones. Since it was All Souls day, I visited my father's and grandparents' graves, brought flowers, and lit some candles. When we were in the cemetery, we saw a lot of flowers, candles, and even food such as sticky rice, a bottle of beer, bread, and many more. This has been our tradition to not just bring flowers and candles but also the favorite food of our deceased loved ones.
There was also a mass held at the cemetery chapel.
In every cemetery, you will see a giant cross. This is where people light some candles and pray for the souls of the departed whose tombs are nowhere to find.
I hope all of our loved ones are doing well right now. Happy All Souls’ Day!
SIMPLE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Last day, I celebrated my birthday as well. It was a simple family lunch full of home-cooked meals and traditional food for both my birthday and the day of the dead. Rex bought cake and we shared it with the family. It was a happy day for me since my family was all present. We prepared Biko (sticky rice), humba, salad, chicken, and fruits.
Grateful for all the blessings, good health, peaceful, and happy life. My heart is full because I received so much love from my family and friends. I pray for healing, peace, and love for everyone. Thank you Hive community for being part of my life.
Your birthday is the beginning of your own personal new year. Your first birthday was a beginning, and each new birthday is a chance to begin again, to start over, to take a new grip on life. — Wilfred Peterson
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS POST!
Sabukidblog is a blog of a couple who lives in the countryside of Cebu, Philippines. They decided to create a place where they could inspire their readers by sharing their life experiences, food trips, and travel adventures. They will also be sharing their simple life in the rural area.
If you want to read more stories from sabukidblog- an upvote, comment, follow and reblog would mean a lot to them. Join them as they share their stories together. God Bless everyone.