It is believed that the Church chose All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day celebrations on November 1st and 2nd to replace the pagan holiday called the Festival of the Dead. The timing of these celebrations was connected to the changing seasons and the beginning of winter.
All Saints' and All Souls' Day celebrations in the Philippines are celebrated in local cemeteries. Cemeteries here may look a bit different than those in the United States. In the U.S., when a loved one dies, they may be put in a casket then buried in the ground where families can visit that person's gravestone. In the Philippines, because there is a lot of flooding, cement crypts are above ground to safeguard deceased loved ones. This ensures families can return to the crypt because it is dry and protected from floods.
