PEOPLE from Betis District in Guagua town have started cleaning family crypts and mausoleums as early as mid-October in preparation for All Saints’ Day on November 1 and this district’s longest observance of All Souls’ Day.
Betis District, once a proud town of seven barangays and now merely a part of Guagua, is known for observing the longest honor rites for the dead, highlighted by nine days of church masses at the Santiago Apostol Church here.
While others would set aside leftover candles after the November 1 occasion, folks of this district would continue honoring the dead, showering them with prayers in the company of family members.
They would do this for a span of nine days, starting from November 1 until November 9.
The local public cemetery is a virtual whitewash as most graves are painted an immaculate white. Mausoleums are given a fresh sweep, some even with the luxury of curtains and air-conditioning units.
Precy Cunanan, a longtime resident here, said they have been observing the tradition for as long as she could remember. She said the tradition could even be considered the longest observance of All Souls’ Day.
The tradition includes the offering of a nine-day novena at St. James the Apostle Church, which a majority of the residents strictly observe.
But unlike the usual November 1 celebration, the highlight of the tradition climaxes in the last day of the novena, which is highlighted by a morning mass and the blessing of graves in the nearby cemetery.