Death is a natural part of life. All of us have experience with death, whether it’s among our family, our friends, or even folks we barely know. With death comes customs and rituals associated with it that we, the living, perform and practice. For example, many pre-colonial peoples of the Philippines believed that one had to go through a voyage on a boat to the afterlife. As such, many coffins and burial jars incorporate a sailing vessel in its design.
In this episode, the TFAL crew explores funerals, spirits, and the afterlife. Listen as we discuss Filipino customs such as 9-day novenas, blocking mirrors after someone has passed, and not being able to take food home from a wake. We also talk about our thoughts about what the afterlife will be like! With Halloween and Day of the Dead (Araw ng mga Patay) coming up, we thought it would be a good time to discuss some of our Filipino traditions when it comes to the “other world.”
Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. For folks who are on Spotify, you can take a listen to us here.
Share some of your experiences with Filipino and Filipino American funeral customs by emailing us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com, or call us at (805) 394-TFAL!
PC: xiaochua.net and ilovephilippines.com.ph
