J. Julius

Hello All,

Well starting tomorrow morning it will be all saints day here in the Philippines Nov 1. Away many people in the Philippines celebrate the Day of the Dead, called Araw ng mga Patay. Families visit with their lost loved ones and take time to clean their graves. Unlike Mexico's festivities, the Philippines' Day of the Dead celebration feels more like a family reunion than a wild party. You may find the locals playing cards, dancing and singing throughout the day. Filipinos feel comfortable around their dead relatives, wanting them to take part in the festivities. During meals on the Day of the Dead, an extra portion is placed out for each departed soul.

Now before the feast day itself, many have spruced up the tombs of their close relatives, often decorating them with flowers and balloons. The cemeteries in the Philippines, as a rule, do not consist of neat plots of grass with gravestones marking the presence of the deceased buried there below the earth. In the Philippines, many of the dead are laid to rest above ground in mausoleums (often white) of different sizes, some large enough to house the remains of many persons in separate compartments.

Those who come to spend All Saints . Here they come to find a place to sit on ledges or in the niches between the tombs. Here the families share food and stories or even games together in a party-like atmosphere.

Here is a link that has some photos :http://worldcultures.multiply.com/photos/album/11/PHILIPPINES_ALL_SAINTS_DAYALL_SOULS_DAY_NOV.1-22006_

I hope you take some time to remember other lost loved ones.

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