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Public visits deceased loved ones
The graves that populate the Veterans Cemetery in Marpi are adorned with wreaths yesterday as part of the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day today. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
As is the annual tradition, the various cemeteries in the CNMI drew most of everyone yesterday for the All Saints’ Day observance, with family members visiting, cleaning up, and decorating the graves of deceased loved ones.
Many adorned the graves with bouquets and lit candles and offered prayers while spending the day at the cemeteries.
The same traditions will be observed today, All Souls’ Day. In some Catholic cemeteries, a Mass will be held.
Many families who gathered at the island’s many cemeteries turned the day into some sort of celebration, coming together and bringing food to share with one another while reminiscing and praying for their dear departed.
For some, the occasion has also become a family reunion of sorts.
According to Joe Torres, he has been visiting his mother and father’s graves at the Chalan Kanoa Cemetery for over a decade and every year, the entire family gathers.
“This is the day everyone comes. Today, we all come together because this is like our picnic day once a year,” he said.
Torres never misses this special day, going as far as closing his entire air-conditioning and refrigeration business. “This is their day, it’s a special day, I closed my business for this occasion.”
The day is significant not only because one gets to celebrate it with loved ones, but it also serves as a means of strengthening the family bond, Torres said.
Since he visits his parents’ graves daily and cleans it weekly, he hadn’t had much to do to prepare for the occasion. All that’s left is for other family members to lay their flowers on the graves.
Darlene Terry, who came to honor her deceased husband, said that visiting his grave has helped her cope with her loss. Her husband died over a year ago.
Terry started preparing for All Saints’ Day as early as the second week of October.
“Everything is finished, all we have to do is just come and attend the rosary and then wait for the Mass,” said Terry. “I feel good being here.”
The Chalan Kanoa cemetery is only one of the many burial sites on Saipan that are visited on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. With the CNMI being predominantly Catholic, both days are spent visiting deceased loved ones.
