A few days back, we Filipinos celebrated All Saints' and All Souls' Days. These are important events because we honor our relatives who have passed away. Days before, we visit the cemetery and clean, repaint, and decorate the graves of our dearly departed.
All Saints' Day falls on 1 November with Filipinos celebrating the dead up until 2 November 2which is All Souls' Day. Filipinos loosely lump these two days together and collectively refer to them as "Undas," when there is really a difference between the two.
All Saints' Day is dedicated to people who have died and have entered the bliss of Heaven — in other words, it is for those who are already saved. Meanwhile 2 November is dedicated to all those who have died but are still undergoing, in Christian belief, purification before they enter Heaven.
It is for the above reason that 1 November is called "All SAINTS' Day (since all those who are already saved are called saints), and why 2 November is merely called "All SOULS' Day," the souls of those who have died is referred to as still being unsaved.
Many traditions and cultural practices have evolved. In the past, the bodies of Christian martyrs were displayed and prayed over. Today, masses are celebrated with appropriate prayers said for the dead.
One of the cultural traditions that grew alongside All Saints Day is Halloween, which is celebrated on the eve of All Saints' Day. Halloween comes from the words "hallowed" (meaning sacred) and "evening". Children wear costumes, many of which depict grizzly death, but may wear other non-death related costumes such as Batman or Superman.
The original idea behind the grimy costumes is to scare evil spirits who on the eve of the day reserved for honoring the saints supposedly prowl the earth seeking to do harm. The original intent was to protect the world from evil. As the practice became commercialized, characters from comic books such as "Spiderman" could join the force scaring evil spirits away.
During Halloween, children go from house to house asking for candies and other confectionaries. The children say, "trick or treat!" which is a subtle but idle threat that if the house owner did not give them anything (the "treat"), the costumed beings would play mischief (the "trick") on them!
One of the early Popes, Gregory III (690-741 AD), saw it fit to fix All Saints' Day, which at that time was celebrated on different dates in different countries, to 1 November of every year. This coincided with his founding of an oratory at St. Peter's in the Vatican to "exalt all the just already made perfect throughout the world."
In closing, I want to share with you a beautiful PRAYER FOR ALL DEPARTED from a friend.
"By your resurrection from the dead O Christ, death no longer has domination over those who have died. So, we beseech you, give rest to your servants who have departed this life. Grant it to those who from Adam till now have adored you or searched for you in the depths of their hearts.
Grant it to our fathers and mothers, to our kinsmen and friends; to all men and women who have passed their road to you, by a thousand ways, in all conditions and ages. Forgive their transgressions and by the suffering you have endured for our sakes, take them all with you to Heaven. Amen."
I like this prayer because it makes no distinction between people who died holy and those who died in sin. It recalls the fact that Christ had suffered and died for all. As such it may be recited not just on All Saints' and All Souls' Days, but during any time, by any individual, and may be dedicated to whoever regardless of belief and way of life.
