All Saints Day (November 1 Holiday)

All Saints’ Day, or also called Todos los Santos, is a regular holiday in the Philippines that falls every November 1. As the name suggests, it’s a day to remember all the saints and is a traditional Catholic holiday. You can continue reading or proceed to tell us who you spend your undas, through the comments section below.

Spending whole day and night at tomb of loved one

It’s sometimes lumped with undas or Araw ng mga Patay, or All Souls’ Day, which is celebrated a day after, November 2. This is not a holiday in the Philippines. For instance, the President declared November 2 as a holiday this year (2009), but indicating only that it is an additional non-working day, without any reference to All Souls’ Day.

As preparation for undas, the tombs of loved ones are cleaned, repainted and decorated with flowers. The usual candles abound. The entire family usually spends time cemeteries, huddled around the tomb or grave. Family members return to the province. It’s considered an important holiday for the whole family, to spend time among themselves and with the memory of the departed souls.

While the gathering is solemn in spirit, it’s generally festive in expression. Card games are common to while away the time. The eating and drinking, even singing and dancing, are common. How do you spend Undas?