THE Philippines being mostly a Christian country has long observed All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day as part of tradition. Indeed these days are even considered as secular holidays as well, with people trooping home to the provinces to visit the gravesites of their beloved dead. In the Philippines the observance of Araw ng Patay is held on November 1, as we of course believe that our beloved dead have become part of the community of saints in heaven.
We offer Masses and prayers for them, who are still languishing in Purgatory—which by the way is the state of longing to join the Eternal Presence, but which cannot be attained until all temporal punishment is atoned for…and it is the souls themselves who inhibit themselves as being unworthy, and desire to purify themselves first.
These two Catholic feasts provide a significant recognition of the Communion of Saints. The Catholic Church emphasizes that with Christ as the Head, the body of the Church, the people of the Church, living and dead, are united. Catholics believe that the Church exists in three different dimensions—the Church triumphant consisting of saints (overtly canonized or not) who already enjoy the Beatific Vision, and are united to God; the Church suffering, or the souls in Purgatory who must undergo purification before they may share in the glory of Heaven, and the pilgrim Church, or the people of God on earth who must live faithful lives in this earthly existence. All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are days of remembrance and celebration. The feast of All Saints’ provide us with anticipation of the glories of Heaven, while the feast of All Souls’ reminds us of our obligation to live holy lives.
Unfortunately, the influence of Western culture has diluted the significance of these two feasts in our country. Halloween has become one of the modern “traditions.” But in fact, Halloween has its origins in pagan practices, some of which were influenced by Aztec and Celtic cultures. Halloween customs have actually more to do with fear of the dead. The Aztecs believe that after a person dies, his soul passes through nine levels prior to its final destination—Mictian, the place of the dead. The Celtic people believed that evil spirits roamed the earth on the last night of the Celtic year (October 31), and that they worked mischief among the living. Part of the Celtic belief was that one could live safely through the night by dressing up as a ghost, witch, etc., and to confuse them, and by bribing the evil spirits with treats.
And so, Halloween, as it is presently observed, has become a time for parties and for people to wear costumes, have games and fortune telling, and for practical jokes. Homeowners decorate their front yards with scarecrows, vampires, ghosts, fake cemeteries and play spooky music. Children dress up in costumes as ghosts, devils, ghouls and other evil spirits, and go from door to door, say “trick or treat” to get candies or other goodies, the Celtic influence. This “tradition” has become so commercialized these days, that the Christian significance of the feast has somehow been lost.
Of course, I have no beef with Halloween celebrations—taken in the proper context. They can surely be fun, a time for letting off steam and relaxing, and an occasion for fellowship and creativity. But I think that we must avoid its over-commercialization and excesses. We have to realize that this way of celebrating the feast of the dead has pagan roots.
One recent effort, promoted by the Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls, an Apostolate of the Montfort Foundation, is to encourage the “March of Saints,” and to discourage the secular tradition that trivializes and even glamorizes evil, the occult and pagan practices and beliefs that are incompatible with the Christian faith and the true meaning of All Saints’ Day. The March of Saints seeks to change all that, encouraging children (and adults) to instead wear costumes of the saints, angels, and holy persons—a Christ-centered alternative to Halloween. Various forms of this March of Saints have already taken place, not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world as well. To name a few, in 2013, the Holy Family Parish in Cubao, Quezon City, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Ormoc City, the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart Manila, the Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish in Parañaque, and abroad, Madonna House Apostolate in Ontario, Canada. As can be best ascertained, there were 35 parishes and 11 dioceses that mounted the March of Saints last year.
Hopefully the March of Saints will take root as a Tradition in lieu of the pagan observation of Halloween. And that we remember that this is the time for commemorating those who have touched our lives, keeping them in our prayers…until the time that we shall all be together again, in a true communion of Saints, basking in the Beatific Vision.
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