All Saints' Day Eve
🇵🇠Philippines
- Public Holiday
- Countrywide
- Fixed date
Overview
All Saints' Day Eve is the Philippine public holiday on October 31, the evening that leads into All Saints' Day on November 1. It marks the start of Allhallowtide, known in the Philippines as Undas, when Filipinos honor saints and remember their departed relatives.
What It Is
October 31 gives Filipinos a day off to prepare for the long Undas observances. Filipinos traditionally visit their families' graves to clean and repair the tombs. Prayers for the dead are recited, and offerings are made, most commonly flowers, candles and food. Many families also spend the day and the following night at the cemetery, holding reunions with feasting and merriment. Chinese Filipinos may also offer incense and kim.
Why It Matters
The day belongs to Allhallowtide, the Christian season that honors the saints and remembers the dead. The name Undas comes from the Spanish honras, meaning honors, and Todos los Santos is Spanish for All Saints. In the Western Christian tradition, the liturgical celebration of All Saints' Day begins with its first vespers on the evening of October 31. The Eve therefore carries the religious meaning of a vigil, turning attention from the living to the saints and the departed.
Holiday in Context
Filipino customs of the season blend Christian observance with older local practice. The tradition of pangangaluluwa predates colonial rule: people wrapped in blankets went from house to house, singing as spirits of ancestors, and expected rice cakes called biko in return. This is often seen as a root of the country's trick-or-treat habits, which are older than American Halloween influence.
Countries Celebrating
1 country
See what else is celebrated today around the world.
Discover other holidays and observances happening right now.