Several ambassadors to the Philippines had a blast celebrating the Halloween in a party hosted by the United States envoy, a post by the Irish Embassy in Manila said on Thursday, Oct. 31.
(Photo from Irish Embassy Manila)
The embassy shared an undated photo of some nine female diplomats who gamely posed with their “claws” out for a photo.
“Ambassador Emma Hickey celebrated Halloween at a party with fellow ambassadors hosted by @USAmbPH!,” the post on X (formerly Twitter) read.
In the photo, the ambassadors had their hands in the form of a claw while smiling to the camera.
US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson even had her makeup done to complement her witch costume, hat, and accessories.
They also had their arms wrapped around each other as they wore their spooky Halloween costumes.
Most of them wear an all-black ensemble accessorized with some spooky accessories and pumpkin hat.
The embassy also said that celebrating the Halloween in Manila reminded Hickey of her homeland.
“The festive atmosphere reminded Ambassador Hickey so much of Ireland—the home of Halloween. (Halloween pumpkin and ghost emojis),” the embassy wrote, using hashtags #Samhain and #Halloween.
Joining Carlson and Hickey were Ambassadors HK Yu of Australia; Constance See, Singapore; Marielle Geraedts, Netherlands; Raduta Matache, Romania; and Saija Nurminen, Finland; among others.
Though popularized across the globe, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to Ireland, with customs and traditions rooted on ancient Celtic practices.
Originally, it was known as the festival of Samhain as it was the day that marked the end of the harvest season and the dawn of winter.
In the Philippines, Halloween falls a day before “Undas,” or the All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.