It's Hallowe'en!
The western world will be celebrating All Hallow's Eve on Monday and I was wondering what do you do during this holiday?
In my country it is slowly being celebrated but it mostly and mainly a commercial thing as promoted by the malls and some hotels and other enterprising businesses. ^^
What is big here before the Christmas shopping spree truly begin in full swing is the yearly event we locally call Undas or the visit to the graves of the dearly departed loved ones on the 1st and 2nd of November. In the Catholic calendar, that is the All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day respectively. Like election, Christmas and Holy Week times, most city-based workers go back home to their provinces and pay respect to their dearly departed ones by visiting their graves. Since this is a declared non-working holiday, there is time for a bit of relaxation going on. There is ritual or a set of things that needed to be done, though.
The day before the visit, usually on the 30th or 31st of October, we go to the cemeteries and clean the place up by washing, repairing and repainting the graves. On the day itself, either the 1st or 2nd of November (usually the 1st since that is a declared non-working holiday unlike the 2nd), the families and relatives of the dearly departed goes to visit the graves by lighting candles, offering flowers and prayers for the dearly departed and have a nice long chat with the relatives over snacks or packed meriendas. This will go on for the whole day. Some will visit in the morning then leaves when a fresh new set of families/relatives arrives. Others stay for the whole day even overnight till the next day and then go home in the late afternoon.
The scheduled visit of some to avoid the horrible traffic may be something like going there on the 30th or 31st of October or early morning on the 1st of November or anytime on the 2nd of November when there are a few visitors to the cemetery by then as most of the visitors have to go back to the city or their relative residences to go back to their daily profession/business/routine.
This holiday/celebration/commemoration involves the offering of candles and flowers, it is the second or third biggest lucrative profitable time for the people in the business of selling candles and flowers (next to Christmas and Valentine's Day). People would flock to their local flower selling districts (here in Manila and the nearby cities, the go-to place is the old Dangwa Terminal where flowers of all kinds are usually unloaded fresh from the local farms of Baguio City and other flower farms all over the country and parts of the world (like Tulips from Holland/Netherlands and other non-local flowers/orchids from the nearby Asian countries). The most in demand lately are the Malaysian mums, chrysanthemums, and orchids of all colors as well as all types and colors of Anthuriums are favored because they last longer than most flowers like the mums. Poinsettias are bestsellers during the Christmas season while Roses are the highest most coveted flowers during Valentine's day. ^^
Next to Christmas and New Year's Day the other most common holiday where reunions of relatives can happen are during a relative's wake and the yearly visit to the cemeteries. We update each other on our goings-on and share stories of other relatives and people we know in common. It is like a fiesta with the atmosphere being lively and there are food and drinks involved. ^^
So what do you do during Hallowe'en? ^_~
In my country it is slowly being celebrated but it mostly and mainly a commercial thing as promoted by the malls and some hotels and other enterprising businesses. ^^
What is big here before the Christmas shopping spree truly begin in full swing is the yearly event we locally call Undas or the visit to the graves of the dearly departed loved ones on the 1st and 2nd of November. In the Catholic calendar, that is the All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day respectively. Like election, Christmas and Holy Week times, most city-based workers go back home to their provinces and pay respect to their dearly departed ones by visiting their graves. Since this is a declared non-working holiday, there is time for a bit of relaxation going on. There is ritual or a set of things that needed to be done, though.
The day before the visit, usually on the 30th or 31st of October, we go to the cemeteries and clean the place up by washing, repairing and repainting the graves. On the day itself, either the 1st or 2nd of November (usually the 1st since that is a declared non-working holiday unlike the 2nd), the families and relatives of the dearly departed goes to visit the graves by lighting candles, offering flowers and prayers for the dearly departed and have a nice long chat with the relatives over snacks or packed meriendas. This will go on for the whole day. Some will visit in the morning then leaves when a fresh new set of families/relatives arrives. Others stay for the whole day even overnight till the next day and then go home in the late afternoon.
The scheduled visit of some to avoid the horrible traffic may be something like going there on the 30th or 31st of October or early morning on the 1st of November or anytime on the 2nd of November when there are a few visitors to the cemetery by then as most of the visitors have to go back to the city or their relative residences to go back to their daily profession/business/routine.
This holiday/celebration/commemoration involves the offering of candles and flowers, it is the second or third biggest lucrative profitable time for the people in the business of selling candles and flowers (next to Christmas and Valentine's Day). People would flock to their local flower selling districts (here in Manila and the nearby cities, the go-to place is the old Dangwa Terminal where flowers of all kinds are usually unloaded fresh from the local farms of Baguio City and other flower farms all over the country and parts of the world (like Tulips from Holland/Netherlands and other non-local flowers/orchids from the nearby Asian countries). The most in demand lately are the Malaysian mums, chrysanthemums, and orchids of all colors as well as all types and colors of Anthuriums are favored because they last longer than most flowers like the mums. Poinsettias are bestsellers during the Christmas season while Roses are the highest most coveted flowers during Valentine's day. ^^
Next to Christmas and New Year's Day the other most common holiday where reunions of relatives can happen are during a relative's wake and the yearly visit to the cemeteries. We update each other on our goings-on and share stories of other relatives and people we know in common. It is like a fiesta with the atmosphere being lively and there are food and drinks involved. ^^
So what do you do during Hallowe'en? ^_~