Table Talk By: Mike S. Apostol Remembering our departed love ones November 1 and 2 of every year is a special day throughout the world to remind all people of the world regardless of religion to pay homage to their departed love ones. The Tagalogs of Luzon call this day as “Pista ng patay” and weeks before this day Tagalogs gather around up to the wee hours of the morning taking turns reading the “pasyon” like in a wake. In the Visayas it is called “kalag-kalag” and almost all Visayan homes are laden with food and their doors are open even to strangers or spirits of the departed to partake the food the family prepared in celebration of “kalag-kalag”. One tradition that Visayans follow up to the present in the rural areas, is, on “kalag-kalag” day a Visayan family who have prepared food for the spirits or even for the living, leave their homes on that day so the spirits or the living can go inside their homes and eat the foods without having to ask permission from the family. This tradition is treasured among the Visayans and it is the best form of hospitality. The Spaniards called this day as “todos los Santos” and Spanish influenced Zamboanga Chabacano adopted that name and made this day as a day of reunion among family members. American celebrate “All Saints Day” with a Halloween costume festivities and a “trick or treat” for their children. *** In Zamboanga City just last year and before the MNLF siege “todos los Santos” was celebrated like a fiesta atmosphere in the many cemeteries of the city. There are group singing with barkadas and even video karaoke singing are heard throughout the night in the cemeteries. Food and candle stalls lined up the perimeters of the memorial grounds and this is the only time that cemeteries are well lighted and people are awake the whole night and stay besides their love ones. This celebration will last at least for four nights starting at eve of “todos los Santos” and end up the night after the last day of “All Souls Day”. This year 2013 will be the saddest day to celebrate “kalag-kalag” in Zamboanga like the sad celebration of the “fiesta pillar” because the city is still worried that lawless elements might take advantage and wreak havoc while the city is paying homage to their departed. The 12 midnight curfew is not lifted, liquor ban in the cemeteries is ordered by the city and the police, no sharp garden implements to clean the graves are not allowed inside the cemetery and even visitors are prohibited to carry bag packs and many more merry making activities. *** Beautiful fresh flowers coming from barangay La Paz in the West Coast and some from Bukidnon Province in Northern Mindanao are plentiful at the city’s many flower shops but a little bit costlier now because of the situation. The Crisis Management Committee (CMC) promised to detail more police officers in cemeteries and many major city roads are declared as a “one way traffic” scheme for the duration of “todos los Santos”. Vehicular traffic is observed in many major city roads in the East and West Coast, especial those leading to cemeteries and memorial gardens. *** Today is saddest day to remember for Table Talk, because in July 25, 1965 when I was barely in my high school years, we lost our father, mother, two sisters, two brothers-in-law and a cousin from Pangasinan, who was to visit us for the first time and nephew of my father, in a fatal plane crash in Mt. Madyaas, Panay Islands. The mortal remains were retrieved by rescuers after almost a month and delivered to our family for a decent burial in a sealed casket. Sad to relate but happy to know that they are all “safe in the hands of the Lord”. They are all entered, six of my family members in one single tomb at the Sta. Cruz Protestant cemetery, except for one brother-in-law, Air Force Lt. Pedro Mogan, and husband of my sister Leonila Apostol Mogan, who was taken by his parents to be buried in his hometown of Manoag, Pangasinan. We know that they have reached their journey to the great beyond peacefully and calmly because they have watched over all of us who remained as orphans at an early age. Thank you Lord for this blessed day. *** Scoop: There is a joke text message that I received yesterday which read “Friendly Advice: Don’t you worry if you cannot visit your departed love ones today in the cemetery because it will be your departed love ones who will come to visit you in your home”. I hope it will come true. Agree or disagree with me. ***
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 07:10:05 +0000
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