Undas: A time to remember, a time to care for the Earth

This is the weekend when customs and traditions take over, no matter what the weather will be like, and no matter if reports say the crowds will be thicker this year.

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The Undas weekend — All Saints' Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls' Day on Nov. 2 — remains one of the most cherished observances in the Filipino calendar. Families travel far and wide to be reunited in spirit with their dearly departed, turning cemeteries and memorial parks into places of prayer, reflection, and love.

The term Undas is said to have come from the Spanish word honras or honras fúnebres, meaning funeral honors. Over generations, it evolved into Undas, a uniquely Filipino expression of remembrance. But its essence has never changed to give honor to those who came before us, to keep their memories alive, and to remind ourselves of the ties that bind families through time and beyond death.