Halloween tradition, superstition
HALLOWEEN, one of the world’s oldest holidays, is yearly observed on October 31 to mark the beginning of the three-day religious feasts – Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day – collectively called Allhallowtide. This time in the liturgical year is dedicated to honoring saints and martyrs and praying for departed souls.
Called All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween is typically observed in many countries, including the Philippines, with trick-or-treat, horror movies, costume parties, scary stories, jacko-lanterns, bonfires, playing pranks, and visiting haunted places. People visit graveyards to pray and place flowers and candles on the tombs of their loved ones. It is no longer a somber ritual, but a day of costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.
On the eve of the Halloween, Filipinos return to their hometowns for All Saints’ Day (Undas) and All Souls’ Day on November 1-2. Because of similarities between Halloween and Undas, Filipinos regard them as one celebration. They reunite with kin as well as pay respect to the dead. They recall the good deeds of departed loved ones and share supernatural and ghost stories. They partake of native delicacies such as rice cake, sapin-sapin, guinatan, puto, and suman, eaten with tea or ginger drink.
Hotels, malls, and buildings spruce up with horror-themed décor, hold promo activities for children such as awards for best and most spooky costumes, free candies, toys, hats, and masks. The local trick-or-treat is called pangangaluluwa (souling) in rural communities, with serenaders go from house to house to ask for money or food.
In the Western world, people eat vegetarian food and snacks, such as barmbrack (fruitcake), candy corn, potato pancake, soul cake, apple, pumpkin pastry and pie. Popular in the United States, Halloween tricks are played such as “snap-apple” in which an apple on a string is tied to a doorframe or tree and players try to bite the hanging apple, and “knocka-dolly” in which costumed, masked children knock on doors, but run away before they are opened.
Halloween symbols are spooks, skeletons, cobwebs, ghosts, headstones, pumpkins, and skulls. A profitable holiday for manufacturers of costumes, décor, and candy, Halloween’s commercialization started in 1900s, when postcards and die-cut paper decorations were produced. The first mass-produced costumes appeared in stores in 1930s and trickor-treat became popular in 1950s.
Originating from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (old Irish for “summer’s end”) in 1754, Halloween tradition included people lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts and spirits. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated All Saints’ Day on November 1 to honor saints and martyrs, incorporating Samhain rites. Halloween became a secular, community-based event of child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treat.