Today, Catholics around the world visit cemeteries to honor and remember their dead, as well as to pray for them.
Although the tradition of visiting the graves is not confined to Poland, the way it is celebrated here is considered by many people unique. Robert Gamble is an American publisher living and working in Poland for many years.
‘There are many Poles who are not believers but they still visit the graves, light candles and even though some people won’t talk about it seriously but every Pole that I know takes this tradition very seriously. It’s not just a sort of light tradition that they go through. It gathers the family remembering those who are no longer living.’
Over 15 thousand police officers have been on duty over the past few days to ensure the safety of those who visit the cemeteries. Despite this, police reports speak of over 60 fatal accidents on the roads. Statistics say that some 80 percent of around 350 million candles sold in Poland every year are purchased in the last days of October and at the beginning of November.
Millions of Filipino Catholics visited cemeteries across the country yesterday and today to remember those who have died and to pray at their graves. Many, as per local tradition, spent the night in prayer between 1 and 2 November near the graves of their loved ones.
An estimated 30,000 people are at the Manila North Cemetery and the figure is expected to double within the day, while there are 50,000 people in the Manila South Cemetery. According to a local television channel, around 500,000 people from the capital will visit the cemetery in all.
Laudemer Angeles, who spent the night by the tomb of his grandfather, said: “This time is very important for us. We only do this once a year and it’s a time when all members of the family can gather for a reunion.”
It is a national tradition to bring families together to remember the dead and to spend two days remembering relatives who have died.
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