A Lie, Traditions & Such

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I must be lying when I said yesterday was a really lazy day for us. Why? Because we left DD at 2 pm and drove a considerable distance away. Well, not for an adventure, but to attend a wake of a mother who succumbed to a long battle with diabetes. She's 52. Her husband (the Farmboy's cousin) went ahead 3 years ago. He was 51. Too short a life for those two, but maybe it was meant to be so they wouldn't suffer any longer.

Along the way, we stopped by one of the landmarks for a photo opp.


Had a bit of fun testing a newly-purchased camera clip along the way. Yet to learn the technique on how to use it better.


We had some more stopovers to enjoy some scenic mountains and farms. Mind you, while it was sunny, it was already chilly. The cold gets through the bones!


And then we drove to the family's residence and stayed there for a few hours, participating in the mass services, and listening to people's anecdotes, jokes, puzzles, singing, and the like. Yes, these are part of the traditional mourning rituals in our region. It's how people give comfort to the bereaved family.

Wakes usually last for days (3, 5, 7, or even 9 days). This gives relatives from distant places and the community time to gather, offer their condolences, and pay their respects until the burial.

While writing this, I was suddenly reminded of my first cousin's husband from the Visayas, who wished to have his wake here when his time comes (when he dies), saying he observed how people value, respect, and love their dead, even spending hundreds of thousands until they are laid to rest.

Some say it is a crazy and costly tradition, and they are quite right. That's because we feed people (full meals, coffee, snacks, and such) every day until the burial is finished; hence, wakes here often cost more than the extravagant weddings in the locality.

I wonder if this will ever change, but it is a beautiful tradition, especially when the whole community comes together to give the bereaved family a helping hand, from preparing food (cooking to serving them) day in and day out. That alone is already heartwarming.

Anyway, we left the wake around 8 pm, as we needed to be home before the curfew hours. And we will truly have a lazy day today.

Smile... laugh often... love more... be grateful always!

All photos are my own unless specified. 06022026/11:50ph

traditions fgdiaries culture wakesinthecordilleras community philippines bakun ramblings pob
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28 comments
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Is not always easy to stay without one thing or the other coming up in a day, oh sorry for the lost yes people have to cherish their tradition especially old time tradition

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How short life now no? But yeah, on the other hand, at least no more sufferings.

I remembered before if my memory is right wake last in our place should be an add number. Like, 7, 9 or more.

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It sure is, sis. It's the same here; always set them in an odd number of days.

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51 52 so short so sad.

I thought it's only here in Nigeria they spend lots of money for burial and wake-keeping, here is viewed as opportunity to feed the poor and to reunite as a family because extended family from different places will make sure they attend the wake and burial.

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It it. But life is such that we never know when one's time comes.

It's interesting to learn a bit about how things are done there in your country.

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Life and death is something beyond our control. I don't want to say too much about it.
In case of the place you shared in picture, it was indeed beautiful. I would love to enjoy some time in such a place.

!PIZZA
!LUV

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Yep. That's how life is. We gain some, we lose some over time. Thank you, Inti. !BBH

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So sorry for the loss. But the pictures you captured are fantastic, I love them all. Traditions still remain, it has come to stay no matter how we feel about it. My sincere condolences to the family.

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I appreciate your kind words, thank you. Yes, traditions tend to remain intact no matter how much time passes. !LADY

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there is no food tradition here with this kind of things, actually everyone barely eats something when this happens, not enough hunger so it feels weird reading this

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Yeah, we do it differently. It's as if there is always a party for us here. Pigs are butchered every day. Drinks, coffee, tea, snacks, etc are served between meals and at night. People in our region rarely hold wake ceremonies in funeral homes.

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It reminds me like in the Ukrainian culture, at the funeral I went, people brought lot of food for the relatives, cakes, meat and such

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Oh, that's even better :) At a few Chinese wake ceremonies I attended, some relatives also brought food and nibbles.

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They were gone too soon sis. Pero Yun na siguro tadhana nila. SA amin kasi SA Visayas the night before the funeral Lang may dinner at SA araw Ng libing may pakain. Though may food din SA lamay pero MgA snacks Lang at coffee. 😑

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Oo sis, ganon nga talaga. Sa Baguio, lalo na pag sa funeral homes, ganon din ginagawa. Coffee and mga snacks, which is great kung ako tatanungin. Mas gusto ko yung ganon. Dito sa amin, from day one, katay sila mga baboy hanggang libing. Mas marami ang kinakatay sa day 3, sa last night at sa burial day kasi mostly sa mga araw na yon dumadagsa ang mga tao.

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Napakagastos Pg ganyan sis. SA amin Hindi Kaya ang ganyan. Maliban na Lang Kung talagang may pera pero ayaw pa ring gumastos Ng ganyan😬

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Oo sis. Okay lang pag kaya, pero kung kulang, doon nagkakautang yung pamilya. Sabi ko nga, ngayon pa lang halos 1M na. Paano na lang kaya years from now, lalong tumataas mga bilihin.

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