Thursday, November 08, 2007 All Souls’ Day still not over for Betis folk By Ian Ocampo Flora
GUAGUA -- While most people have stashed away the left over candles and are now focused on the upcoming Yuletide season, Betis folk still troop to the public cemetery here in what could be the country’s longest commemoration of the departed.
Though the Catholic Liturgical calendar places the commemoration of the dead on November 2 (with most people trooping to the cemeteries on November 1 instead), in Betis the commemoration starts from November 1 and stretches until November 9.
Marites Jingco, 56, a resident of San Juan Nepomuceno, said the tradition of commemorating the day of the dead was already an old practice that have been handed to them by their forebears.
“We go to the cemetery during the afternoon but during November 1 and 2, we usually stay from morning till late. The next days we only visit for a few hours” Jingco said as she places a “recycled” candle from Wednesday’s visit.
According to Fe Pineda, secretary of Saint James Parish here, the tradition of celebrating the All Souls’ Day for nine days originated from Catholic practice of a nine day novena. The novena focused on prayers offered to the dead for nine consecutive days, culminating on the 10th day which marks the end of the novena and the religious celebration.
“The usual practice here is we offer mass in the cemetery for the dead for nine days. It has become a personal devotion of the people here to attend and complete the nine day novena.),” Pineda said, adding that the highlight of the commemoration is usually during the first two days and on the 10th day when the mass is held in the morning.
Jingco, on the other hand, said there are suggestions to make the tradition into some sort of tourist attraction. “There are those who are suggesting to make it into a tourist attraction, but I believe that would take away the importance of the tradition. The dead should not be used to make money. Besides, there are other things that we could show here in Betis,” she added.
Betis is famous for its woodcraft industry, its old Augustinian Church and a throng of ancestral houses. The tradition of All Souls’ Day commemoration in Betis will end on Saturday.
