Legacy MattersYesterday, the Feast of All Saints, Catholics celebrated all those now in heaven. Today, Catholics commemorate All Souls Day for all the faithful departed.
Many churches display the Book of the Names of the Dead which contains the names of all those who have died in the parish.
Souls that are not yet in heaven are undergoing purification in Purgatory. Prayers can speed their passage from Purgatory to the Beatific vision of Heaven, so prayers for the dead can be especially useful.
In Mexico, the "Dia de Los Muertos" is celebrated on November 2. Catholic beliefs have merged with some pre-contact beliefs and the Day of the Dead has become a happy celebration with family ancestors that have died. The Day of the Dead Blog has many photos of vigils and the parade of the children.
In Manila, the Day of the Dead is for the living
After lighting candles and praying at the tombs of their loved ones, Filipino families spend the whole day in the country's graveyards, eating and chatting.
"We celebrate this every year, no fail. We all come here together and bring food, and we stay all day," said Lolita Capoquian, who came to pay her respects to her daughter who was killed in a car accident 14 years ago.
The Day of the Dead festival has its origins in a pre-Hispanic belief that the dead return to earth one day each year to visit their loved ones.