TODAY, November 2, marks the Christian event, All Souls’ Day. Some other countries like Mexico refer to this as "The Day of the Dead." This day is associated with the triduum of "All hallow tide" encompassing All Souls’ Day, All Saints’ Day (November 1), and Halloween (October 31). A triduum refers to religious observances lasting three days.
When I was young, the priority of this season was to say a prayer for the repose of the souls of our dearly departed loved ones. I’ve also experienced doing a 9-day vigil with my late-maternal grandma in the lead. Then my family and I also visited our loved ones resting places in the cemetery, sometimes even meeting other family members as some form of reunion.
Since this was pre-gadget stage, I recall the background was peppered with songs and stories. Of course, there were also food and drinks involved. I also remember my brother, cousins, and me collecting melted wax from all the lit-up candles, forming them into giant balls. These were then weighed and sold for a few pesos, giving us pocket money for Bazooka, Judge, or Tarzan candy.
Nowadays, kids look forward to these three precious days because it is incorporated in many schools’ semestral break. Ergo, no classes. Hooray! On top of that, it is the most awaited Halloween celebration. The priority now is to prepare costumes and candies for children’s trick-or-treat and other related festivities like Halloween parties.
Heck, let’s be honest, kids and even adults love dressing up. Goblins, ghosts, ghouls, witches, skeletons, superheroes, princess, and many others can be seen parading in the streets. The overall theme of creepy, frightening, and scary permeates the air; represented in the decors, often with tones of black and orange. There’s no hint that this holiday is actually of Christian origin. Times have indeed changed!
It’s quite amusing these days that so many people celebrate Halloween, but when asked, many don’t really know what it stands for. Some associate the occasion with a horror movie franchise of the same title starring Michael Myers. Halloween or October 31st actually has other names like Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve. This basically means the vigil or the night before All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Day).
Hallow is actually defined as a saint or somebody holy. Remember in the prayer Our Father, there’s a line that says: "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..." Hallow is an important old English word that suggests holiness, honor, and respect. All Saints’ Day is in honor for all these “hallowed” people in Heaven, including those blessed martyrs who don’t have their own feast days.
These three days of the “All hallow tide” or the "Hallowmas" season are holy days of celebration. But saying prayers or going to mass in this modern era have taken a backseat. The "Holy Day" has become merely nothing but a "holiday."
There’s no shame in wanting to unwind or relax, because I am definitely included in the list of people who relish this holiday or non-working days. That being said, before I start my "relax mode," I never forget to pray for my dearly departed loved ones because they are the real reason for these holy days.
On top of my list is my mother who passed away unexpectedly due a cerebral aneurysm in 2008. It is the same illness that hit the very fit and healthy actress, Isabel Granada, which became viral news recently. Actually, my mom was fit and healthy too. In fact, she had her annual physical check-up four days prior to her collapse. It is a very heavy blow that I feel it until this very day.
I guess time does not heal all wounds. The painful loss of a loved one may be less raw with each passing day, but it still somehow persists especially on days like today when we are called to remember. There are other times wherein a song, a street corner, a holiday, a life event, or something similar will trigger the painful memories and reopen wounds. Losing someone (especially my mom) is akin to losing a limb, I guess. A person eventually functions without it, but you just always know that it is not there. Grief has a way of lingering on.
Nevertheless, Happy All Souls’ Day... yes, it is happy because I believe in heaven. I know in my heart of hearts that it is the true and final resting place with eternal peace and happiness.
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