In this predominantly Catholic country, Undas is a melting pot of western and eastern cultures, of religious, pagan, indigenous and even pre-colonial beliefs and traditions.
“It is a celebration for both Catholics and non-Catholics, even for IPs who believe that the dead are still alive, that we can still communicate with them and we pray for them. People gather together to celebrate the dead as much as it is a get-together for the living,” said Kapampangan cultural historian Robby Tantingco, the director of the Center for Kapampangan Studies of the Holy Angels University in Pampanga.
“The dividing lines as to what is Catholic, what is Chinese, what is pagan – all these are blurred when it comes to Undas. You would have, for example, Catholics who offer food for the dearly departed, something that the Chinese and other Asian cultures observe, and that is seen as well in our own pre-colonial and indigenous traditions,” he added.
The Tagalog concept of “alay” – offering food to the dead – has its own equivalent among the Ilocanos (“atang”) and the Cebuanos (“halad”), among others, and is usually composed of rice cakes or kakanin such as biko or suman, fruits, pansit, and the favorite dishes of the departed loved ones.
Anthropologist Nestor Castro described these traditions as “syncretic” or being characterized by a combination of different forms of belief or practice.
Undas, which comes from the Spanish word “honras” (you honor), is the shortened term for the Spanish holiday Dia Delos Todos Santos or All Saint’s Day on Nov. 1.
The celebratory nature of Undas, however, is more similar to Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos or All Soul’s Day, also known as Day of the Dead, which is marked every Nov. 2 and combines both Aztec and Catholic rituals.
“Even before the Spaniards came, we already had traditions and beliefs to commemorate the dead, just not with Catholic symbols such as crosses and not necessarily on Nov. 1,” Castro said.
“We have family shrines. The belief that our ancestors are watching over us and that they are to be revered, that is very, very Pinoy. The Ilocanos, for example, reserve a plate of food for their ancestors from time to time, not just on Nov. 1. Isabelo de los Reyes even coined a term for this ancient religious belief – anitismo” he added.
The Kankanaey group of people in Sagada, Castro said, had been offering food for their departed “ninuno” or ancestors even before the concept of Undas every Nov. 1 was observed in the country.
In Visayan mythology, there is also Magwayen, the goddess of the sea who is best known as the one who ferried the souls of the dead aboard her “balangay,” a pre-colonial plank boat, toward the underworld.
The Philippines also has a local equivalent of what is known now as the Halloween practice of trick or treat, Philippine studies professor Shedar Jocson said.
In Southern Tagalog, the practice is called “pangangaluluwa” where people dressed in white shirts sing songs and carols while asking for coins. The coins collected will then be used to buy candles for common gravestones in cemeteries which serve as markers for unknown, unclaimed or no longer visited graves.
“There is also the aspect of ‘trick’ – if the household declines to give coins, maybe the carolers will hide their slippers or get some rice or other similar tricks,” Jocson said.
Tantingco said a similar practice exists in Pampanga, called “panggogosu,” from the Spanish word “gozo” which means enjoyment or pleasure.
“During the panggogosu, the songs commemorate the saints and those who have died and went on to the afterlife. They are given money or tokens of gratitude for their carols,” Tantingco said.
Similar to the pangangaluluwa, the pangogosu also has an element of trickery if a household fails to give coins or tokens – the carolers might steal a chicken or throw a rock, among other tricks.
Undas, according to Castro, is almost like a pre-Christmas reunion for most families.
“We celebrate the lives of our ancestors and our dearly departed, that’s why there is music, there is merriment, some even play cards – all happy activities,” he said.
“It is a very Asian concept, that life is circular, that those who have passed away are still with us even from the beyond,” added Jocson.