Sure I've talked about missing a lot of holidays in the Phils because my family always did something special for all occassions. Not to mention the very long weekend in the Phils -- while here Ryan & I worked like horses in those 2 days.
Not to celebrate all saints day & all souls day will leave an empty void in me so with the support of my mom & Ryan after having dinner last Nov 1 we set up our own altar with candles & flowers for our departed loved ones. Said our prayers for the intention of the soul of lola, lolo, tita glecy, lolo nuling, omay, lolo humbelin & the relatives of ryan who he cant name.
When lola passed away we diligently visited her tomb every after breakfast at Dulcinea coming from the Sunday mass, a routine that we only broke after my lolo passed away. Yes we still visit the cemetery every Sunday when he died but the Dulcinea breakfast was not necessarily there. Ugghh..I know it is a privilege but we ate there since I was in highschool and lolo passed away when I was already working. Not to mention that lolo, who I fondly call my "talking alarm clock", wanted us to be up to hear the 6 AM mass...Yes partying the night before was not an exemption for the rule. So I had no curfews as long as I can get up in the morning and attend mass with the family. Of course this was the same when my lola was around except that with lola we somehow had a variety of breakfast - Mc Donald's & Jollibee was surely a treat! And earlier when we still can afford it breakfast at Century Plaza (no complains about here though..hehehe).
Anyway every all souls day Dokee prepares flowers the night before. Have the big boys repaint the tombs (one time with the small boys too who also painted the cat nearby). The whole family goes to the cemetery when it's not so hot outside just taking a tricyle from the house to the cemetery as it is heavily jammed in the vicinity and there will be no place to park the car.
We say our prayers and eat merienda there in the cemetery with or without lolo's brother's family. After that we attack the food stalls especially the green mangoes na maasim!!and the inihaw na pusit!!Deadma sa pizza, donuts, etc...kse naman mistulang food court ang Makati South Cemetery pag Nov.1 hehee. Somehow having fun there in the cemetery feels like we are still with them or at least we are hoping they see us from somewhere that we are all good and terribly missing them. This year is also the first year that Omay will no longer join us as he passed away in such a young age unexpectedly. I didn't get the chance to pay my respects to him yet. Inaabangan ko pa naman tuwing Nov 1 kug ano at ilan ang cellphone na nawala nya for the year and everytime he goes to the cemetery (actually anywhere for the matter) sobrang porma nya to the max. Hahaha! Another family member who will be missed.
Though we are far away this tradition will never be lost in our family. I will teach Iaree and tell her stories about our departed love ones. As a family we will always pray for them. In fact we started teaching her this year and she was so behaved and facinated with the light of the candle..hehehe. =)
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