All Saints' Day......

Wow, it's another trick or treating day tomorrow. My little one is very excited about it. Actually, she's always excited if there's any markings on the calendar thus giving her hints that there's something going on somewhere. She even pointed out something on the calendar to her Dad earlier about a 'holiday' in Canada. She's that excited about all these things.

Anyway, halloween is just the start of a special ocassion we observe in the Philippines....All Saint Day. I used to be very excited about All Saints Day, Araw ng mga Santo or Undas for others. We didn't do the trick or treating thing when I was growing up. It was a "never heard of" thing for us probinsyanas. Actually, I just heard about halloween or trick or treating from my college friends... I think. Even then it was not a big thing. The only thing we were waiting for then was All Saints Day.

My reasons for being excited about All Saints Day differed as I was growing up. When I was younger, elementary years, my friends and I would do the rounds in the cemetery and would collect candle drippings. We made candle balls out of the drippings. It was really fun trying to beat playmates to those big piles of candle drippings. At the end of the day, at night actually, we would compare the sizes of our candle balls. High school was a different story, it bacame a meet up. We would pay our respects to our dearly departed then we would stay in one spot where everyone would chat. College was even more exciting for us former high school classmates. Since we were living separate lives already and we would only see each other once in a while, All Saints Day was probably the best meeting time. It's a holiday for all in the Philippines and there's really no need to stay at home to bond with family. Everyone is out paying respects to loved ones who are gone. So after lighting a candle and saying a prayer, we would go around looking for former high school friends/classmates. We would end up in some friends' house chatting. I miss that...very much.

Oh, All Saints Day is extra special to me personally because it's Juliana's Day...yep, I was born on November 1. I always liked my birthday. Imagine all those candles being lit. It's always a holiday and I always get 1 peso from my Tatang. I will be turning a year wiser come All Saints Day. I know a lot of people will think of me on that day as I will be thinking of the two people who are the reasons for my very existence. I won't be able to hear them say Happy Birthday to me but I know they're looking at me from up there wishing me the very best birthday I can possbly have.

How I wish I can go back to those days where my only worry was where to find candle drippings to make my candle ball.....and to hear the 2 people that never forget to greet me on my birthday....but such is life so I won't let it dampen my spirit cause I know my little one expects me to be happy on my birthday.