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Arthur Little
24th August 2009, 14:58
... is an inherent part of Filipino culture ... traditionally observed as an annual public holiday on November 1. On this day, it is the custom for citizens nationwide to commemorate the occasion by visiting the graves of their deceased loved-ones.

As I broach this somewhat morbid :cwm24: theme - on an unusually :) [for the current British "summer"] glorious August afternoon - readers (assuming there ARE any!) might wonder about the relevance of my reference to a date which is still more than two months ahead on the calander.

Well, the topic just happened to crop up in the course of a conversation my wife and I had a couple of hours ago. She and I were discussing a long-standing friend of mine who, although living in one of Scotland's 'new towns' (Glenrothes) regularly attends the same church we do in Perth ... some 30 miles distant. Afterwards ... come rain, hail (even snow) or shine ... Brian makes an almost weekly pilgrimage to lay fresh flowers on his late wife's grave in the small Burgh of Crieff - which entails a further round trip of roughly the same distance.

In so-doing, my friend is keeping his wife's memory alive in an almost tangible sense. :rolleyes: And this, at a time when the ratio per head of population growth in the UK has, since as far back as the 1950's ... and even beyond ... invariably led to the ever-increasing trend towards cremation, due to the the inevitable shortage of ground for burial.

Now, far be it for me to criticise the apparent "popularity" of the latter practice in the current [supposedly unavoidable] circumstances. Indeed, Perth Crematorium first opened in 1959 and, over the past half century, its daily "turnover" has undoubtedly resulted in "A Dying Trade" :icon_lol: becoming one of the locality's most "rapidly-expanding business enterprises" ... with assets surpassing those derived from most other Council Services.

But whilst there are legitimate reasons for adopting the "modern" approach to what is, after all, EVERYONE'S final destiny, there's still much to be said in favour of the centuries-old custom of interment within the confines of either a churchyard, municipal cemetery or other form of consecrated memorial land. And, unless I'm mistaken, these remain the choices of a 'last resting place' for 99.9% of Filipinos.

And so, when my friend's wife learned she was terminally ill, :bigcry: she'd stipulated to her husband that she wanted to be laid to rest [more or less] alongside her beloved grandmother ... in the small cemetery close to where she had spent her schooldays at Morrison's Academy nearly fifty years earlier.

:ARsurrender: Sorry about the long "epilogue" folks! But I wanted to share it with you all ... for what it's worth. Y'see, it's being so "cheery" :yikes: that keeps me going ...

Tawi2
24th August 2009, 15:05
Its cool Arthur,we are all going there,we all have people who have gone there before us,we can empathise with your friend :)Tibetan sky burial or the Parsee towers of silence look good to me :xxgrinning--00xx3:But I suppose once your gone your not really bothered what happens to the shell or husk you left behind :) Funny topic :icon_lol:

Sophie
24th August 2009, 15:40
Indeed 99.9% of filipinos opt for that rather than the cremation process.....
It's very important to us filipinos to pay respect to our loved ones who passed away by observing the annual all soul's day....
Its also a way of family get together or more of a reunion with family and relatives once a year.....
We actually bought a burial/memorial land in a private cemetery back home and all our loved ones are buried there next to each other
(my dad, sister, grandma, niece, 2 aunts and cousin)
But me and my other sister is actually talking about having our bodies cremated when we die.....
We actually both discussed about it, as weird as it sounds, lol.....
i guess you cannot avoid and escape the inevitable, we are all bound to leave this earth, so better plan now while we still can :)

Arthur Little
25th August 2009, 13:10
Ah well ... [sigh] ... no more replies. Guess I'm 'flogging a dead horse' with THIS post! :doh

Thanks to the two good friends who took the time to respond.

miss.piggy
25th August 2009, 13:30
Ah well ... [sigh] ... no more replies. Guess I'm 'flogging a dead horse' with THIS post! :doh

Thanks to the two good friends who took the time to respond.

:D:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

Seriously Arthur, All Souls Day is one important public holiday in the Philippines. Sophie is right, most families use this date for family reunions, etc. I haven't been to any cemeteries in the Philippines for the last 7 years, but I tell you the atmosphere is really amazing.

Just like Sophie's family, my parents secured blocks for themselves in a memorial park near our ancestral house. it sounded morbid to me before, but i now fully appreciate it. they've also decided to insure themselves for funeral arrangements and coffins as well (now this is giving me goosebumps :yikes:), but only pulled out because they've taken Pacific Plans which went belly up months ago.

I haven't really thought of my own death, as I will try to fight to live longer for my kids. But surely, I'll go there when the time comes. And I won't hesitate arranging everything as well before I bid adieu so as not to put more preasure to the love ones I am leaving behind.

:)

Arthur Little
25th August 2009, 14:41
:D:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

Seriously Arthur, All Souls Day is one important public holiday in the Philippines. Sophie is right, most families use this date for family reunions, etc. I haven't been to any cemeteries in the Philippines for the last 7 years, but I tell you the atmosphere is really amazing.

Just like Sophie's family, my parents secured blocks for themselves in a memorial park near our ancestral house. it sounded morbid to me before, but i now fully appreciate it. they've also decided to insure themselves for funeral arrangements and coffins as well (now this is giving me goosebumps :yikes:), but only pulled out because they've taken Pacific Plans which went belly up months ago.

I haven't really thought of my own death, as I will try to fight to live longer for my kids. But surely, I'll go there when the time comes. And I won't hesitate arranging everything as well before I bid adieu so as not to put more preasure to the love ones I am leaving behind.

:)

Far from being "morbid" Olivia, I think the practice of taking out a "Memorial Plan" is an extremely sensible arrangement. Let me tell you a darkly-humorous story concerning this:

Towards the end of my last [3 months'] stay in the Phils, I became increasingly impatient awaiting the arrival of my wife's Spousal Visa. Myrna being a native of Mindanao - and, rather than having to take a 3rd flight to Manila to pick-up her visa - we'd opted to pay the extra Php 300 to have it delivered by the 'To Go' Courier. One day, an official-looking motor cycle drew up outside the driveway of the elderly relatives with whom we were staying. "Come quickly", I called out to Myrna ... excitedly pointing to the well-dressed dispatch rider. Rushing out of the house, Myrna suddenly stopped in her tracks and burst out laughing: :icon_lol: ... "Ahhh!" ... she finally exclaimed ... doing her best to speak between giggles ... "That's NOT the Courier ... it's the man who comes to collect Manang's memorial insurance premium ... !

miss.piggy
25th August 2009, 14:59
"That's NOT the Courier ... it's the man who comes to collect Manang's memorial insurance premium ... !

:icon_lol::icon_lol:

Wow, that's very convenient! It's one of the beauties of living outside Manila -- more interaction and personal approach!!! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

JimOttley
25th August 2009, 23:20
... is an inherent part of Filipino culture ... traditionally observed as an annual public holiday on November 1. On this day, it is the custom for citizens nationwide to commemorate the occasion by visiting the graves of their deceased loved-ones.



I am sad I will not be there this year :(

It is a very emotional experience being there in a cemetery and sharing this day with your family.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/3024079243_8640293539_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/3024901448_c441c5723c_b.jpg

I know it's a mess but people are there to be with the souls of their departed family and to share time with them it's a celebration of life and a deep remembrance.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/3024062717_fd928ede03_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/3024895598_365b7c8788_b.jpg

I posted so many just to give you a small idea of what it feels like, this was at a quieter time of day normally there is an unbroken sea of humanity entering and leaving the cemeteries. :)

In contrast in 2007 on All Saints day Ana insisted that I visit my mothers grave in Hawkhead road in Paisley, we stood there 2 people out of maybe 6 or so in the entire cemetery and I should confess that it had been many years since I had visited my mothers grave :(

The contrast was breathtaking.

The photo's are from Nov 2008 by the way.

For me I told Ana that I would be very happy to rest here in the Philippines when my time comes, I prefer burial in whatever form, rather than cremation, my father was cremated but more because no one had any idea what he wanted :)

Jim

P.S. None of these shots are of our family I left them out intentionally.

britishdetained
26th August 2009, 07:42
I agree with Sophie, some Filipinos uses the occasions to have a family reunion. Same with our family every year we all go to the province gathered in our family Mausoleum

http://www.friendster.com/photos/4393647/1/352720430#pic=8803027931847465430

http://www.friendster.com/photos/4393647/1/374055522

http://www.friendster.com/photos/4393647/1/374055522#pic=01177445479

http://www.friendster.com/photos/14045513/1/876335732

these are some of our photos during our visit to my moms'

britishdetained
26th August 2009, 07:55
http://www.friendster.com/photos/14045513/1/876335732#pic=01170038752
http://www.friendster.com/photos/4393647/1/374055522
http://www.friendster.com/photos/4393647/1/374055522#pic=01177445479