Spirits are real and may even harm you, especially if you are rowdy on their special day.
Although some do not believe in All Souls' Day myths, the story of Jeffrey James Torres, as told to Daily Tribune, will make you learn to respect All Souls' Day.
On the evening of 31 October 1990, the seven-year-old James was with his aunt in their small house in Quezon City preparing suman and pancit to be offered at the tomb of departed Lolo Binong at the Manila North Cemetery on All Saints' Day.
"They wanted to leave me behind because it usually rained every 1 November or Undas. But there was no one to look after me, so they decided to take me along," Torres said.
One of the superstitions of Filipinos is that when it rains on All Saints' Day, the raindrops are the tears of the dead. It usually rains that day, so people believe the souls are crying.
Filipinos bring food on 1 or 2 November to place at the tombs of their departed loved ones and later at the altar at home because they believe the souls would partake of them.
On All Souls' Day, food must be offered at the altar because the dead would return and join the prayers.
"It was crowded that morning at Manila North Cemetery, as All Saints' Day is a feast for Filipinos. My Aunt Merlyn firmly held me because I could get lost in the huge crowd. After a 30-minute walk from the gate, we reached the tomb of my Lolo, the father of my father and my aunts," James narrated.
And because he was only seven years old, he was a rowdy boy. "I kept jumping back and forth on the tombs beside my Lolo's grave."
"I remember it rained right after the usual prayers for the dead and our lunch. Then I felt sick. My head ached, as well as my whole body, sort of flulike symptoms."
After they arrived home, James said he had a fever during the night, and his temperature rose.
"When I woke up the next day, I could not bend or stand on my two feet. I feel excruciating pain every time I try to put my feet on the ground," he said.
His dire condition lasted for two days. He threw up everything he ate.
"Then I heard my other aunt say, "Baka nabati yan kasi ang kulit nya kahapon sa sementeryo! Talon ng talon sa mga nitso. Pinarusahan yan (He might have been accursed. He was jumping all over the graves yesterday. He is being punished)!"
Clueless about what was happening, James' aunt asked a neighbor to seek out a "mananambal" (traditional healer) to perform a "tawas" (purification).
"One came. She held my ears and uttered some prayers. Then she asked for a basin of water, lit a red candle, and started pouring the candle wax into the water. An image formed and told my aunt that the spirit of a woman in the cemetery had cursed me," James recalled.
The following day, James said he could stand straight without pain. His temperature was back to normal.
Even though it is not a holy day of obligation, the Catholic Church teaches that hearing Mass on All Souls' Day is a good idea.
Also, the day should be spent, at least part of it, in prayer for the souls of our loved ones and those who have no one to pray for them.
As Filipinos, it is our culture to light candles at night, especially on All Souls' Day, as the souls are thought to be in darkness. That is why we provide the light so they may continue their journey to the afterlife.