Halloween – Filipino Style

Cemeteries in the Philippines as a rule, do not consist of neat plots of grass with headstones marking the presence of the deceased buried below.  In the Philippines, many of the dead are laid to rest above ground in mausoleums (often white), some large enough to house the remains of many persons in separate compartments.

Young lads getting on with the chores.

                                                                                                   

Paint touch up.

Following customs that go back to when Spanish Missionaries first came to the Philippines, Filipinos continue to observe “All Saints Day” November 1st and “All Souls Day” November 2nd.

Mayhem at the Cemetery entrance.

During this national holiday, most Filipinos find time to go to the cemetery to visit the graves of deceased relatives, where prayers are offered, candles lit and the graves themselves are cleaned, repaired and repainted.  Many spruce up the tombs of their close relatives with flowers and balloons.

Protection from the sun.

Getting stuck in.

Delicate touch.

No one spared the chores.

Nearly finished.

Larger job.

Water for flowers.



The most popular day is however “All Saints Day”.  Where families spend their whole day in the cemetery bringing flowers and lighting candles for their departed loved ones.  They bring food as well, not just for themselves but also for relatives and friends who visit and pray for their loved ones.  Some take this as an opportunity to reunite and to bond, and so they bring things such as radio, cards, guitars, etc. for the enjoyment of the whole family.

Main entrance.

       Candles.

High up on the hill.

You have to give it to Filipinos for finding joviality, a sense of fun and something to celebrate even in the most sombre and gloomy of situations.  Always up for a celebration when big gatherings of relatives are present, be it for a baptism, wedding and funeral or, in this case, honouring the dead.  Filipino families being quite extended, these gatherings are occasions where they meet 'long lost kin' and are updated on one another’s life.  In many cases people who bring food to the tombs don’t just bring food for their own consumption. They also set aside portions as offerings for the dead, believing that somehow the dead still have a way of partaking in the earthly feast.

Drinks and snack time.

Not in the public cemetery.

Subic bay from boot hill.

For those who might have missed the cemetery party, some even leave food, exclusively for the departed, at small altars in their homes.