It is correctly known that in the United States, this day is not a holiday, but it is still officially celebrated in different countries globally.
In the catholic church, it is considered to be the day in which all the saints of the Church are honored, this is because these saints have already reached heaven and overcame purgatory.
In relation to Halloween, in the Philippines, they celebrate in the same way as in Mexico, November 1st is not simply to remember the saints but to remember and honor the memory of deceased loved ones who left the earthly plane, most of them are celebrated with prayers, scented candles, flowers and offerings.
In Mexico, more specifically, culturally it is known that the day of the saints is a custom that has been maintained over the years and among its traditions, they:
- Honor and remember family members who have passed away
- Make altars to honor the memory of friends and loved ones
- In these altars they place offerings of food, photos, flowers, candles, etc
- Wash the bones of loved ones
It should be noted that, November 1 is also a day like October 31 since the connection with the spirits and dead in the afterlife is intensified between the earthly and spiritual world.
In the tradition of All Saints' Day, in the Mexican country, thousands of people dress up in costumes and fill the streets with colors and candles, the objective of many people is to honor loved ones and dance joyfully.
This day is identified in Mexico as a day to celebrate the life of those who are no longer alive, such as family, friends and people, also to the ones who have passed away due to Covid-19.
A problem for local public and private cemeteries
Authorities and also those in charge of many cemeteries are concerned during these specific dates due to the fact that many people take advantage and make many witchcraft works, rituals and meetings, they take advantage of an apparent strong and open connection between the earthly plane and the plane of the dead spirits; that is why authorities tirelessly investigate the cemeteries during the early hours of the morning hoping not to find any malevolent work or people belonging to occult groups, satanism, witchcraft and sorcery.
In Mexican cemeteries, death is celebrated in the same way, in many places the tombstones of the dead are covered with orange flowers, scented candles and photos of loved ones, all this accompanied by music that prevents the cemetery to go in total silent during the evening hours of the night.
In conclusion, on this date many people go to visit their loved ones, offer them gifts, food and offerings as a way to venerate them and remember them in their hearts.