BY DOM GALEON
It is that time of the year again when Filipinos flock into cemeteries all over the country to celebrate their departed loved ones. Yes, celebrate is the more appropriate word, as the annual commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which follows the day after, has truly become a remarkable feast in Filipino culture. And, typhoon or no, nothing can stop Pinoys from honoring the dead by visiting their final resting places.
Indeed, while Undas is observed in a similar way all over the country, there are certain customs unique to particular regions. Whether one believes the origins of the term Undas to be a shortened version of the Spanish “Un día de los muertos” (A day of the dead) or as a derivative of the verb “honrar” (to honor), the observance of this two-day holiday remains essentially the same — one visits the tombs or the columbariums where the remains of departed relatives have been laid.
Interestingly, perhaps the only regions where Undas is not celebrated in the same way, nor the same day, as the rest of the Philippines would be in provinces that are predominantly Muslim. Islam, of course, is a religion that has a concept of the afterlife. As such, Muslims do spend time visiting the graves or resting places of deceased relatives, albeit not on a fixed date like Christians do during Undas. The prophet Muhammad, it is said, observed similar practices of praying for the dead and visiting graves.
Another region with a different custom is Sagada in the Mountain Province. Because of its location, Sagada is often buffeted by strong winds. Locals, instead of lighting candles beside or near gravesites, light what is called “saeng” or pinewood.
Capable of withstanding the strong winds typical of the mountain region, “saeng” is lit during a practice called “panag-apoy” or “to light a fire.” This custom begins on Nov. 1 with a blessing of the “saeng” done during afternoon mass at the Anglican church of St. Mary the Virgin (which, for those who are familiar with Sagada, is located just below the cemetery). Then, the faithful bring their pinewood and burn them beside the graves of their loved ones in a solemn and quite private ceremony that lasts until around 7 p.m.
Food for the soul
In a very Pinoy fashion, there is no celebration or commemoration that does not include with it the preparation of special dishes — both for the living and the dead, in the case of Undas.
Most popular among these customs, perhaps, is the one of Ilocos where families prepare a plate of “atang” for the dearly departed. While Ilokanos have varied ways of preparing atang, what is common is that the plate is full of different types of rice cakes or kakanin, usually suman, dudul, and linapet.
Some, according to the website of the National Museum of the Philippines, have the tradition of including bagas or uncooked rice (bigas, in Tagalog) shaped in a crucifix, with fresh eggs on top. Still others include, as a side-dish of sorts, caramelized popped rice (busi), black sesame seeds (linga), and sometimes bua ken gawed (betel nut), among other things.
In General Trias, Cavite, most families have a tradition of preparing and serving suman sa lihiya, a local version of malagkit or rice cake. Typically, the glutinous rice is wrapped in banana leaves and is served with latik or sugar. According to a local from General Trias, the custom has been observed for years in most households in the town.
Back to the north, in the province of Pangasinan, where what is perhaps the most tedious of culinary preparations for Undas is practiced. The usual dish served during this time is called “inlubi,” a black rice cake that is sweetened. It owes its dark appearance from its main ingredient, which is deremen or burnt glutinous rice. Accordingly, this deremen is harvested only toward the end of October. It is then prepared and cooked overnight. In order to produce deremen for inlubi, it needs to be cooked and pounded at a particular temperature.
Meanwhile, in the province of La Union, a similar practice of preparing and eating malagkit is also observed. According to some locals, it is customary for families to have plates of various rice cakes during Undas. This includes an assortment of bico, buro, puto, palitaw, among others. And whether one goes to the cemetery or simply offers prayers for the dead at home, the rice cakes have to be present.
Sticking together
It is interesting to note that many regions observe the preparation and eating of glutinous rice cakes during Undas. While kakanin, in one form or another, is a year-round staple in most households and even on the streets of nearly every province in the country, it becomes even more common during Undas.
One possible explanation is that these sticky and sweet delicacies highlight something very Filipino: our close-knit family ties. These stick, pun intended, even beyond death, which says a great deal about the Filipino belief in the afterlife, whether they be Christian or not. Undas, and the local customs and culinary traditions that come with it, serves as a reminder to us all that love of the family is not easily broken.
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