Filipino families keep their loved ones close on All Saints' Day

MANILA: Her father may no longer be with her, but Lorita Santos keeps the memories they shared close to her heart.

She was among thousands of Filipinos who flocked to cemeteries across Manila on Sunday (Nov 1) to visit the graves of their loved ones, marking All Saints’ Day.

For generations, the tradition known locally as Undas has brought families together to remember and honor their dead. The name derives from the Spanish word “honras,” meaning “honors.”

“Just because they have passed away does not mean we should forget them,” said Santos, who visited the resting places of her father and three other relatives.

Her family marks the occasion by offering flowers and candles. Together, they also pray and share snacks.

The visits are an opportunity to share stories about those who have passed away. Santos fondly remembers how her father would give his children and grandchildren small gifts every payday.

“We will never forget that,” she added.

Santos grew up visiting the graves of her relatives, even outside All Saints’ Day. Now, she is teaching her kids to do the same.

“We pass this on to our children to make sure they are aware of the tradition, so that if something happens to us, they know what to do,” Santos said.

Ancestor veneration became intertwined with Catholicism 

Encompassing All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Undas is rooted in Catholic observances but also incorporates beliefs and customs that predate Spanish colonisation.

“There is a very long tradition of ancestor worship in the Philippines,” said Nestor Castro, an anthropology lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Long before the Spanish arrived, Filipinos honored ancestral spirits known as anito by offering food and other gifts to the dead. These practices were not tied to a particular date but formed part of a broader tradition of ancestor veneration, Castro explained.

The tradition evolved after the Spanish arrived in 1565 and introduced Catholicism and new religious practices, some of which may have come from Mexico.

The two countries have historical ties dating back to Spanish colonial rule, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade connected them for centuries. Today, they also have similar customs for honoring the dead and remembering loved ones.

In Mexico, many families also honour their departed loved ones by spending a day or night at their graves or setting up altars at home. It is a joyful occasion filled with marigolds, music and food.

Similar customs are observed in other countries with strong Catholic traditions, including Bolivia, Poland and Hungary, where families gather to honor their dead with flowers, candles and prayers.

Family gatherings strengthen ties across generations 

In Filipino culture, death is not only a time to honor those who have passed away, but also an occasion that brings families together, Castro said.

During funeral wakes, he added, families wait for relatives who live far away to arrive before burying their loved ones. “That’s when family reunions occur. It’s a binding event.”

That sense of togetherness also extends to Undas. Sticky rice cakes are often shared for the occasion, symbolizing the bonds between relatives through their sticky texture.

“These events foster and solidify kinship relationships,” Castro said.

For Mike Mamaril, a 42-year-old school maintenance employee, visiting his parents’ graves is a custom passed down from his grandparents. He said he makes time for the annual visit, even though he rarely gets another opportunity to go.

The gatherings are also a chance to reminisce about his mother and father, including the lighter moments of his childhood.

“We always talk about who among us got scolded the most,” Mamaril said.