Or all that is to love about Halloween in the Philippines
By Jeremy Tintiangko
While considered another big “holiday” in the Philippines, there’s no doubt that we celebrate Halloween widely, albeit differently from the west. Because ours is a predominantly Catholic country, it’s not exactly Halloween (essentially rooted in Pagan tradition) that we commemorate, or so they say. Rather, it is what comes after Halloween—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day—the two-day get-out-of-work free card that sets into motion the series of furor observed throughout the country, this “morbid” and spooky time of the year.
Over the years, thanks in part to globalization (a.k.a. Americanization) and commercialism, Halloween western-style, has slowly but surely crept into the Pinoy psyche and has since been a widely embraced holiday among kids, in-betweeners, and adults who may deem it a hall pass to let out their crazy even just for a night. Needless to say, Halloween is no doubt as important a holiday for Filipinos as Christmas is not just in terms of commercial fluff but more because of the spiritual, social, and cultural substance behind it.
Yet, it comes as no surprise that most commercial establishments have opted to pay little attention to it and instead jump right ahead to priming their consumers about the looming yuletide holidays. Come on, we get it, it’s the “–ber months,” but what about all the commemorative practices and ghoulish fun that come with Halloween? To protest the seemingly deliberate act of skipping Halloween (i.e. blasting of Christmas songs as early as September), allow us to refresh your memories on all that is to love about this macabre holiday.
A family affair
Despite the pervasiveness of new technologies that allow us to keep in touch with longtime friends and relatives, nothing beats taking time out of our busy schedules. Yet, no one ever has the time, right? But because of Undas, Filipinos manage going to great lengths just so they may all gather round with friends and relatives to commemorate departed loved ones, as evidenced by jampacked airports, bus and ship terminals, and heavy traffic on days leading up to the holiday.
On Nov. 1 and 2, the exodus to the cemeteries ensues—a veiled two-day celebration of the departed by way of potlucks, karaoke, and photo sessions at mausoleums and memorial gardens amid flowers, candles, and a sea of people. It is indeed a momentous occasion that allows everyone to catch up and bond with their families.
A good scare is good
A severe scare can cause one to temporarily lose his or her sense of sight, hearing, and interestingly, may lead to hair loss or the turning of black hair to gray or even… death. Well, at least according to what Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, said during an interview with abcnews.com. Psychology, however, does say that fear, in decent doses, can be good for the health, which is probably why Filipinos, and virtually everyone, enjoy getting scared every so often just for the heck of it. From special horror-themed programs that proliferate on TV and to juvenile antics that teens take part of such as the endless exchange of ghost stories, reading of names of the deceased on tombstones, spirit quests, and ghost haunts, Filipinos simply love a good scare.
From special horror-themed programs that proliferate on TV and to juvenile antics that teens take part of such as the endless exchange of ghost stories, reading of names of the deceased on tombstones, spirit quests, and ghost haunts, Filipinos simply love a good scare.
Old traditions and new
One would be surprised to find out that Halloween, which is often regarded as a transplanted holiday, has long had an equivalent in Filipino culture. Called pangangaluluwa, whose origins remain a mystery even among culture theorists themselves, professor and film scholar Rolando Tolentino likens the native tradition with Christmas caroling but with a strange twist. Tolentino recalls memories from his hometown in Nueva Ecija of kids invoking the spirit of their deceased relatives and going from one house to another in trick-or-treat fashion.
According to some, the rural tradition entails that if kids aren’t given their due tokens, various household belongings such as slippers, clothes, and even chickens or eggs would be stolen and sometimes left in the middle of the road or community plaza, which is undoubtedly way creepier and mischievous than the usual trick-or-treat fare. Sadly, pangangaluluwa is hardly ever practiced today even in provinces. Worse, it has never been heard of by most, especially those who have spent most of their lives in the city.
That is not to say that we can’t create new traditions that would be just as definitive of our culture even if that means modernizing or Filipinizing an age-old tradition. In Culture and Community in the Philippine Fiesta and Other Celebrations, Florentino H. Hornedo wrote that “fiestas and other celebratory traditions continue to thrive among our culture because they call forth our communal and expressive instincts as humans as much as they serve as venues for cultural expression and strengthening of one’s sense of community.”
For what it is worth, Halloween, in essence, is a holiday celebrated throughout the world to commemorate the souls of the dearly departed. No matter what its origin, it is arguably a fete worthy of being celebrated and practiced across all cultures. And we are as free to recreate and refunction it as we deem fit—as is a natural and healthy course of cultural production in any society. So this Halloween, enjoy it as you may because just like Christmas it only happens once a year. Make the most out of it.