life and death

The past weekend was a testimonial to life and love…

The first of November is traditionally the day when all roads lead to the cemetery, for families to come together to pray and reflect on the lives of those who passed away. The trek to the cemetery is no easy task… one has to brave the traffic, the endless stream of people just to get to the destination and pay respect to the departed love-one. Just getting to there is an indication of how Filipinos value family and how they show that even in death, love is indeed eternal. For it knows no bounds, as long as a person is remembered, he is loved…as long as he is loved, he is remembered.

The day is also a testimonial to life. It is a day where families get together to share and reflect on the lives of those who passed on. It is a day where families remember the dead and celebrate the continuity of life. In fact, cemeteries during these times present a fiesta atmosphere, where families share a picnic and stay the whole day or even the night in the cemetery. They bring food, drinks, and sometimes games (cards, board games, etc), the day has become one big fiesta.

In fact, this tradition of visiting the dead on November 1 and 2 is similar to the Mexican tradition / festivity “Dia de los Muertos” , which literally means “the day of the dead.” In fact, the two are so similar in nature that Mexicans might just be Filipinos who just happens to be at the other side of the world. I do think this is also influenced by the Spanish conquistadors and priest.

To quote Ricardo J Salvador on “what do Mexicans celebrate on the ‘day of the dead’?” where in he traced this festivity to Mesoamerican native tradition, he says:

The original celebration can be traced to many Mesoamerican native traditions, such as the festivities held during the Aztec month of Miccailhuitontli, ritually presided by the "Lady of the dead" (Mictecacihuatl), and dedicated to children and the dead. In the Aztec calendar, this ritual fell roughly at the end of the Gregorian month of July and the beginning of August, but in the postconquest era it was moved by Spanish priests so that it coincided with the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve (in Spanish: "Día de Todos Santos.") This was a vain effort to transform the observance from a profane to a Christian celebration. The result is that Mexicans now celebrate the day of the dead during the first two days of November, rather than at the beginning of summer. But remember the dead they still do, and the modern festivity is characterized by the traditional Mexican blend of ancient aboriginal and introduced Christian features.

He goes on to state that:

Generalizing broadly, the holiday's activities consist of families (1) welcoming their dead back into their homes, and (2) visiting the graves of their close kin. At the cemetery, family members engage in sprucing up the gravesite, decorating it with flowers, setting out and enjoying a picnic, and interacting socially with other family and community members who gather there. In both cases, celebrants believe that the souls of the dead return and are all around them. Families remember the departed by telling stories about them. The meals prepared for these picnics are sumptuous, usually featuring meat dishes in spicy sauces, chocolate beverages, cookies, sugary confections in a variety of animal or skull shapes, and a special egg-batter bread ("pan de muerto," or bread of the dead). Gravesites and family altars are profusely decorated with flowers (primarily large, bright flowers such as marigolds and chrysanthemums), and adorned with religious amulets and with offerings of food, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Because of this warm social environment, the colorful setting, and the abundance of food, drink and good company, this commemoration of the dead has pleasant overtones for the observers, in spite of the open fatalism exhibited by all participants, whose festive interaction with both the living and the dead in an important social ritual is a way of recognizing the cycle of life and death that is human existence.

I find this information fascinating as it is also what is seen during November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day) in the Philippines. The above mentioned Mexican traditions are very much alive in my country. People still trek to the cemeteries, offer prayer, have a picnic and celebrate life and love no matter how hard it takes to get to there, no matter how hard life has become. All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day has been, is and will forever be the day where Filipinos remember those who came before them and will be meeting in the end.