FILIPINOS CULTURE AND TRADITIONS ABOUT DEATH RITES
Filipinos Culture and Traditions about Death Rites
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Institution
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FILIPINOS CULTURE AND TRADITIONS ABOUTH DEATH RITES 2
Filipinos Culture and Traditions about Death Rites
Many cultures across the world pay respect to the dead in various ways. Filipinos for
example respect and honor funeral rites because they are important to them. According to the
Pew research center, more than ¾ of the Philippines population consists of Catholics. Hence,
most Filipinos believe in the afterlife and hence follow Catholic theology which includes
catholic mass with hymns and prayers. However, some don’t follow the Catholic funeral rites but
follow their traditions during the funeral. For instance, Chinese Filipinos don’t wear black color
at the funeral but wear white colors. Moreover, Muslim Filipinos bury their loved ones within 24
hours of their death (Hays, 2015).
After the death of a person, the majority being Catholics, a priest is called to bless the body
to ensure that the deceased will go to heaven. For the Chinese- Filipinos, professional mourners
are called to expedite the process. Filipinos however do not cremate the bodies, they leave them
to remain intact so that they can resurrect. Moreover, before a funeral is done according to the
traditions of the Filipinos, there is always an awake period that lasts for almost a week. This
period allows for the family members and relatives who stay far away to arrive before the funeral
date. In this period, immediate family members are not allowed to work (Hays, 2015).
The deceased is displayed at home with a casket is adorned with flowers mementos a
registry book. People who are grieving come to offer condolences and sometimes may offer
monetary donations which is a sign for one to respect the family. Family members during this
period of wake take turns during the night to ensure that someone will always be awake during
all the night vigils. To enable everyone to stay alert during the night, people engage in
conversations, singing, card games among many others (Hays, 2015).
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FILIPINOS CULTURE AND TRADITIONS ABOUTH DEATH RITES 3
On the day of the funeral service by the Filipinos, The casket for the deceased is taken by a
hearse to the church for a funeral procession and after the service, the hearse takes it back to the
cemetery for the burial rites. Before the body is laid down, a rosary is placed on the hands of the
deceased, and the last chance is given to say goodbye. In some Filipinos culture, the rosary is
broken to prevent another death in the family, and also small children wear red to prevent dead
spirits from haunting. (Hays, 2015).
After the burial day, mourners engage in 9 days of prayer also known as a novena, in which
they pray even the rosary. After they finish praying the novena, members of the family gather for
a meal to celebrate the life of the deceased. The morning period for the deceased lasts for at least
six weeks which is equivalent to 40 days during which the mourners wear a black pin on the
blouse or short or black clothing to signify their mourning period. There is also ‘waksi’ which
marks the anniversary of the deceased or to commemorate the memory of the deceased.
However, having a large population as Catholics, ancient burial traditions are also mixed with the
Christian ones. For example, the Apayoas, bury their dead under the kitchen in their home.
Moreover, in the Benguet region, the deceased is blindfolded and put in a position in the sitting
room which is next to the main entrance of the house for 8 days (Hays, 2015).
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FILIPINOS CULTURE AND TRADITIONS ABOUTH DEATH RITES 4
References
Hays, J. (2015, June). FUNERALS IN THE PHILIPPINES. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from
http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6c/entry-3864.html
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