Undas, Todos Los Santos, Tigkalalag, All Souls Day, Day of the Dead - a deeply rooted Filipino tradition

An infrared photograph of a memorial park in the Philippines. Flickr/Jep It's that time of the year again when Filipinos all over the country return to their hometowns to visit and pay respect to their departed family and friends. It is a day of remembrance, a day for visiting grave sites, laying down flowers, offering prayers, and lighting candles. In my childhood, my aunts and uncles on my father's side, being of Chinese ancestry, would also have the tradition of offering food and lighting incense on family altars at home.  This time of the ye…

Flowers for the Dead

Flowers for the Dead , a photo by Jepster on Flickr. All Souls day (November 2) is celebrated in the Philippines by visiting the cemetery, cleaning up the burial plot, placing candles and flowers on the grave and offering prayers to the dearly departed. It is also the time of year where I usually go home to my hometown and stay with my parents for at least a few days.