Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs V

About Death, Wake, Funeral or Interment and Prayers:

1. A child is prohibited from combing his or her hair at night because it was said that it will shorten the life of their parents.

2. The howling of dogs at night foretells that Grim Reaper is just around the corner and ready to take the life of someone.

3. The entrance of a black butterfly inside the house is an omen that a relative has died.

4. It is bad to sweep the house with a broom at night because it is like sweeping the residents of the house or in other words, it means successive or consecutive deaths.

5. The sweeping of the house with a broom while the dead is lying in state in the house is avoided because many will soon follow to die. The sweeping is like sweeping the entire family.

6. Lying accordingly or linear to the post of the house is like calling for an early death. Similarly, lying with the feet facing the door also means death.

7. If someone smells a candle (especially when no one is lighting a candle) or a flower (even if there's no flower around or near the area), there is someone who died or who will die.

8. If at present someone is dying in the house and you are downstairs, don't ever dare to go upstairs because you might meet Grim Reaper.

9. If someone is at the wake, don't get some lice from the head of others because it will only increase the lice in their head. If there are lots of lice in their heads, the remedy is get at least one lice from their heads and put it in the coffin moments right before they will close it to be buried so that the lice in their heads will be gone forever.

10. It is bad for someone to slaughter chicken while the dead is still lying in state in the house. To anyone who will slaughter a chicken, it will cause them death. Any or all close relatives of the dead is also prohibited to slaughter chicken, pig or any animals for meat for a year. If slaughtering is inevitable, they request or order someone who is not a relative of the dead to do it for them. It is also prohibited for the relatives to cook malunggay, some legumes, sweet potato leaves and others because these leaves can easily fall off and seems like family members or relatives are falling off.

11. If the people who attended the wake talks about the saints and holy or sacred topics, the soul of the departed will go up straight in heaven.

12. If a person died, no one is talking against the dead person because it was presumed that the soul of the dead will return to punish or inflict harm to someone who did it.

13. If the eyes of the dead are wide open, a relative from far-away places is expected to arrive.

14. If a person sneezes at a wake or within the vicinity of the dead person, it means that the person who sneezes was invited by the dead person to follow the latter. To combat it, any of the ears of the one who sneezed is pulled.

15. The combing of the hair except the fingers is prohibited in Arevalo district. It was said that a person combing his or her hair while the dead is still in the house for the wake will also die.

16. Before the dead is buried, all members of the family kisses the hand of the departed and asks for forgiveness.

17. In Miagao, Iloilo but also applies to different towns in Iloilo, the funeral is signified or determined by the music. If the music is rousing and happy, the dead is a child;  if sad, an elder or old person died. This belief was based apparently for the reason that the children were considered as innocents and free from sins so they will go straight to heaven and they will meet and fetch those who will die thereafter.

18. In lowering down the casket to its burial ground or entering the casket into its tomb, flowers, leaves and salivated soil is thrown to the burial ground or tomb with the casket in it by the people as a last paying of respect and love offering .

19. After the burial or funeral, those who attended the funeral returns to the house of the departed where the wake was hosted and washes their hands first with lukewarm water made out of boiled pomelo leaves before partaking into a meal mostly lunch prepared by the grieving family and relatives so that the ominous grief will not transfer to them and their residence.

20. Someone who came from the house of the departed or who attended the wake of a dead person should not visit the sick or it will only worsen its condition or harm any vulnerable or weak person like the pregnant women and babies or toddlers. They call it as "alaw" in Hiligaynon. If this was done, some fingernails or hair of the visitor or someone who came from the wake should be cut and put in a tuob combined with pomelo leaves and optional sugar, ramos or blessed dried palm leaves and candle wax as a fumigation to the sick to avoid the worsening of its condition.

    *tuob is a smoke created in a container or canister scented with some sugar, pomelo leaves, blessed or anointed dried palm leaves and candle wax combined with the required fingernails or hair cut from the person or any object or things that can cause an aggravation of the condition or harm any vulnerable person like pregnant women, babies and toddlers as a fumigation to the sick to avoid worsening of its condition or to protect the vulnerable especially pregnant women, babies and toddlers.

21. It was believed that three days after the burial, the soul of the departed returns for the last visit and farewell to its living loved ones.

22. If the dead is a miserly or stingy, its soul or spirit returns to guard the hidden treasures or wealth he or she left and scare away those who desires for it.

23. A sudden smell of a candle scent and smoky surroundings expresses the appearance of a ghost or an apparition.

24. Those who prayed during the wake and after the burial and the katapusanan should eat to have an indulgence for those asking for prayers.

25. The leader of the prayer for the dead should accept payment to have an indulgence for those who asked for prayers. The eyesight of the prayer leader will easily ruin if he or she will not accept payment.

26. While the people are praying they are kneeling in the laid banig to accumulate and never lose the indulgence.

27. During the period of wake and prayers, there should always be flowers in the altar beside or near the altar to be offered for the dead. From the time of its wake until three days after the burial there should be a candle lighted to serve as a light to brighten the coming again of the soul of the departed.