Undas in this season of the pandemic

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has ordered that the city’s cemeteries be closed from October 21 to November 3. This is traditionally the period when Filipinos troop to cemeteries all over the land to light candles and pray at the graves of their loved ones – the Undas.

November 1 is All Saints’ Day in the Church’s calendar, while November 2 is All Souls’ Day. In the United States, it is October 31 – Halloween – which is more generally celebrated, with children in ghost costumes going around the neighborhood to collect candies and other gifts. In the Philippines, after 350 years of the Spanish colonial period, it is Undas which is widely observed all over the country.

All Saints’ Day – the Feast of All Saints – is observed on November 1 by the Catholic church and other Christian churches. It is also a public holiday in many countries, including the Philippines. The next day, All Souls’ Day, November 2, Christians remember their loved ones who have passed away.