by Samantha Isobel Tumagan
In Catholic community, the month of November is a time devoted to remembering the departed. Kaeag means ‘soul’ in Aklanon. In the province, we have Kaeag-kaeag which is equivalent to the Halloween celebration that starts from the 31st of October. People flock the cemeteries and light up candles, illuminating the whole area, to extend prayers to their departed loved ones.
With the Christianity influence, there are a lot of religious practices and beliefs that have thrived throughout the years. There are also some that have been obtained from Chinese origins, especially those that involve money.
These practices can be observed starting from the day that the person is nearing death, to the day the person dies, their wake, burial, and the days that follow. In hopes of alleviating the burden of their loved ones on their departure to the afterlife, the living depend on age-old tradition. This is also to ensure the safety of their family from the bad luck that comes with the death and prevent foreseeing another death for the family.
IT STARTS FROM THE DEATH BED.
When someone is dying, their family approaches a parish priest or pastor to provide the last rites. It is also the time for the dying person to ask for forgiveness or blessings through a confession session.
Believing that there is life after death, a family member asks a cantor or a priest to sing religious songs to make the dying person’s last minutes peaceful and the belief that it will ease whatever pain the person is going through.
At the time of death, an immediate family member informs all of their relatives and a parish priest about the incident. The priest would then inform the sacristan to ring the bells as indication that a person has died. The townsfolk who have heard the tolling of the bells are supposed to pray for the soul of the dead.
There is meaning between the intervals of each stroke of the tolling. A short interval means that the deceased is a child, whilst a long interval would mean the death of an adult or an old person.
A WEEK OF WAKE.
Prior to the 1960s, a person's body was normally buried twenty-four hours after death. In Aklan and also in most places in the Philippines, a wake is held for two to five days and might extend to a full week. This is to give enough time for the relatives to come and pay their final respects to the deceased that is held in the casket for viewing.
Because it is thought that if the deceased wears shoes, their trip will be arduous and they will be damned in hell, the corpse is dressed with socks.
The third day of the wake is called patnog. It is a prominent day of the wake because it is when a lot of people gather for a prepared feast. The food that is usually prepared is ubod. Ubod is made from coconut heart palms and cooked with minced pork and sometimes with coconut milk. Vine-like vegetables, on the other hand, are prohibited.
Games are often played and one of which is bordon. Teenagers are frequently among the participants. They form a circle, with one person in the center acting as the "matakaw" or "it." The person in the center makes the participants around them catch the ring and whoever has the ring should recite a luwa or ditso.
Another popular game is konggit. It is pretty similar to a game of marbles since it is played by striking stones and whoever has the most is declared the winner.
However, these games are not frequently played today. The popular games for wakes these days are mahjong, tumbo, and card games like pusoy dos and lucky nine.
FINAL MOMENTS FROM THE FUNERAL.
When the deceased is carried out of the house for the funeral, the family members should pass beneath the coffin. This is done to keep the spirits of the deceased from bothering the living. The foot portion of the coffin is placed forward as if the deceased person were passing through the door themselves as it is transported out of the house. To avoid disturbing the dead's soul, care is being taken to ensure that the coffin does not hit any part of the door.
The final moments from the funeral is where practices of mourning take place. Members of the family are expected to wear black clothing to show their grief. Black ribbons are worn by others. If the deceased was a mother who left a child, the child should wear a piece of red clothing at night as they believe that it will prevent the soul of the mother from disturbing her baby.
For the church ceremony, the casket is opened for the mourners to see one last time. It is observed that no tears should be shed on the face of the deceased because this will only complicate his journey to the afterlife and bring bad luck to the family.
Procession is held from the church to the cemetery. Similarly, extreme care should be taken to avoid bumping against any part of the coffin as it passes through the church's door. Upon exiting the church, the foot section is put forward.
The casket is opened for the last time when they arrive at the cemetery. The immediate family would come near the coffin. To avoid making the journey of the dead complicated, pins and other ornaments are taken off the coffin and thrown away. Mourners would throw a handful of flowers and dirt to the coffin as pabaon.
Those who have attended the burial should pass through the smoke prepared at the gate upon leaving the premises. This is done to protect the mourners' family from becoming ill, especially if there is a child in the house.
A nine-day novena begins on the day of the funeral. Planting and harvesting of paeay are put on hold until after the burial, which may have an impact on the family's revenue.
In this time of pandemic, these traditions are hampered due to certain modifications. However, there are still some that succumb to the practice of these old-age traditions to keep it from being forgotten.
There is uncertainty on what these traditions may bring about because they are works of superstition. Nonetheless, they are still practiced to show lamentation and caring for the dead even after life.