Ilonggos celebrate ‘Fiesta Minatay’ on the 1st of November while most of the Bisaya and Mindanaoans celebrate it on the 2nd Day of November. A priest at the University of San Agustin once said that the actual celebration should really be on the 2nd day of November as it’s the feast of all Souls.
The original intention of the celebration was to pay homage to our dear departed ones. Marketing people though, knows better than everyone else. For them, it’s the time to sell candles, scary costumes and of course, candies for the trick or treat.
Our family does celebrate the occasion but not as grand as other families do. We visit our dead as often as once a week so when the ‘Fiesta Minatay’ comes, we just lit a candle and pray. For people like us who have Chinese blood, we believe that the living should take good care of their ancestors. It’s not surprising why the Chinese people are successful in all fields. It’s because of their love for their ancestors and in return, their ancestors take good care of them.
Visiting the graves of our family members who left the earth long ago is our culture. The new generation just added color to the celebration. However, the essence of the celebration is still there, paying homage to our dearly departed family member.
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