Honoring the dead
NOTE VERBALE By Jaime N. Soriano Manila Times
In a few days, people around the world, particularly Christians, will collectively honor their dead following the yearly tradition of Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day. In many countries, the observance is also a public holiday.
They say that the practice began 2,000 years ago during the time of the Celts, the ancient people of Europe who lived in the present-day United Kingdom, Ireland and northern France. The Celts then celebrated New Year on November 1, signaling the end of harvest and the beginning of the gloomy winter season. On the eve of New Year’s Day, they celebrated the Celtic festival known as Samhain in honor of their lord of death
After the conquest of the Celts by the Roman Empire that lasted for centuries, the Samhain was combined with the Roman festivals of Feralia, in honor of the dead, and Pomona, in honor of the goddess of fruit and trees. The New Year aspect of the Samhain was, however, dropped because of the Roman calendar. Later, the Catholic Church replaced Samhain with an All Saints’ Day celebration observed every May 13.
Subsequently, Pope Gregory III moved the date to November 1—after consecrating a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica for the relics of the holy apostles, the saints, martyrs and confessors—to integrate pagan belief into the Catholic faith. Louis the Pious, then King of the Franks, at the instance of Pope Gregory IV and all the bishops, issued a decree confirming the celebration and making it a day of obligation in the Frankish empire.
Later, the Roman Catholic Church set a separate commemoration of all the faithful departed on November 2, or, if this be a Sunday or a solemnity, on November 3, to atone for the venial sins of the dead through prayers and by the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Thus, these holidays are a mix of pagan and Catholic traditions.
The term “Halloween” was taken from Hallowe’en, an old contraction of “All Hallow’s Eve” that is still retained in Scotland and some parts of Canada. It is so-called because it is the day before All Saints Day, which used to be called “All Hallows,” derived from “All Hallowed Souls.” Every year on the night of October 31, children around the world look forward to the practice of putting on spooky costumes and visiting neighborhood with their famous “trick-or-treat” (also known as “guising”), a practice that originated in the British Isles following the Samhain tradition.
Halloween, or the eve of October 31, then is for children to celebrate the memories of the dead with a night of fun and joy partying, a night of tricks mimicking the spooky world of the after life, and a night of treats of candies and chocolates, which is every child’s craving. This is understandable because death, especially of a loved one, is always disturbing for children.
All Saints’ Day, or November 1, on the other hand, is not only meant to perpetuate the lives of the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith, known and unknown. This commemoration should give notice to everyone that during their lifetime, these saints and martyrs worked and fought hard to strengthen and preserve the Catholic faith, and they continue to do so even after their life on earth through Divine intercessions. Their works should be a constant source of inspiration to the living in their day-to-day struggle for mortal life.
All Soul’s Day, or November 2, is the day for the living to pay respect for the dead, to spend the day in prayers for the eternal repose of their souls and for the atonement of their mortal sins. More importantly, perhaps, it is a day to reminisce the wonderful memories spent with them during their lifetime. Life, after all, is about building good memories.
Maybe, on the occasion of remembering and honoring the dead, it is fitting to reflect on the words of American poet and humanist Walt Whitman when he said: I see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well-beloved, saying to the people, “Do not weep for me, This is not my true country, I have lived banished from my true country—I now go back there, I return to the celestial sphere where every one goes in his turn.”
And come to think of it, many times it is only after dying that one lives
They say that the practice began 2,000 years ago during the time of the Celts, the ancient people of Europe who lived in the present-day United Kingdom, Ireland and northern France. The Celts then celebrated New Year on November 1, signaling the end of harvest and the beginning of the gloomy winter season. On the eve of New Year’s Day, they celebrated the Celtic festival known as Samhain in honor of their lord of death
After the conquest of the Celts by the Roman Empire that lasted for centuries, the Samhain was combined with the Roman festivals of Feralia, in honor of the dead, and Pomona, in honor of the goddess of fruit and trees. The New Year aspect of the Samhain was, however, dropped because of the Roman calendar. Later, the Catholic Church replaced Samhain with an All Saints’ Day celebration observed every May 13.
Subsequently, Pope Gregory III moved the date to November 1—after consecrating a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica for the relics of the holy apostles, the saints, martyrs and confessors—to integrate pagan belief into the Catholic faith. Louis the Pious, then King of the Franks, at the instance of Pope Gregory IV and all the bishops, issued a decree confirming the celebration and making it a day of obligation in the Frankish empire.
Later, the Roman Catholic Church set a separate commemoration of all the faithful departed on November 2, or, if this be a Sunday or a solemnity, on November 3, to atone for the venial sins of the dead through prayers and by the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Thus, these holidays are a mix of pagan and Catholic traditions.
The term “Halloween” was taken from Hallowe’en, an old contraction of “All Hallow’s Eve” that is still retained in Scotland and some parts of Canada. It is so-called because it is the day before All Saints Day, which used to be called “All Hallows,” derived from “All Hallowed Souls.” Every year on the night of October 31, children around the world look forward to the practice of putting on spooky costumes and visiting neighborhood with their famous “trick-or-treat” (also known as “guising”), a practice that originated in the British Isles following the Samhain tradition.
Halloween, or the eve of October 31, then is for children to celebrate the memories of the dead with a night of fun and joy partying, a night of tricks mimicking the spooky world of the after life, and a night of treats of candies and chocolates, which is every child’s craving. This is understandable because death, especially of a loved one, is always disturbing for children.
All Saints’ Day, or November 1, on the other hand, is not only meant to perpetuate the lives of the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith, known and unknown. This commemoration should give notice to everyone that during their lifetime, these saints and martyrs worked and fought hard to strengthen and preserve the Catholic faith, and they continue to do so even after their life on earth through Divine intercessions. Their works should be a constant source of inspiration to the living in their day-to-day struggle for mortal life.
All Soul’s Day, or November 2, is the day for the living to pay respect for the dead, to spend the day in prayers for the eternal repose of their souls and for the atonement of their mortal sins. More importantly, perhaps, it is a day to reminisce the wonderful memories spent with them during their lifetime. Life, after all, is about building good memories.
Maybe, on the occasion of remembering and honoring the dead, it is fitting to reflect on the words of American poet and humanist Walt Whitman when he said: I see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well-beloved, saying to the people, “Do not weep for me, This is not my true country, I have lived banished from my true country—I now go back there, I return to the celestial sphere where every one goes in his turn.”
And come to think of it, many times it is only after dying that one lives
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