Pinoy Halloween

By Amelia H.C. Ylagan The celebration of Hallow Een on October 31 first started in English 16th century. It is the evening (een in Olde English) before All Hallows or Hallowmas (All Saints Day), November 1, the day to honor those souls who have attained beatific vision, as defined by Western Christian theology. Halloween is the symbolic witching hour when supernatural creatures such as witches, demons, and ghosts are thought to appear in jealous rivalry with the good souls.

That explains the ghosts and demons costumes for Halloween. Children usually wear scary masks and black capes or mimic gothic characters like witches and vampires. For their efforts, these tots carry pumpkin lanterns and pails to collect treats of candy and food from adults openly blackmailed in lieu of a naughty prank. That is the childhood trick or treat ritual at Halloween, universalized since about a decade ago by the American Hallmark culture of thinking up a commemorative occasion to justify celebrations and the ubiquitous crafts dcor, and some Disney-franchised costumery. The working middle class worldwide has adopted the upper-class rituals of creating activities to periodically keep their children interested, and to exuberantly glorify their childhood in certain high-profile activities, perhaps in the diminishing bonding time between parents and children nowadays. Halloweens Treat or Trick and Easters Egg Hunt are truly for the kids.

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) media director, openly warned parents against the subliminal message and the danger of dressing up their children as ghosts and goblins. This is a glorification of Satan himself, he said. [Parents] should instead do something that would enhance th! e faith and values of their children. Reactions to Msgr. Quitorios admonitions were divided. Some probably thought him to be like Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter (a perfect Halloween story) series. True, there might be something dangerous in suggesting to children that to be evil and mean is cute and adorable. But some may think there is a Lord Voldemort (archenemy of Harry Potter) there, in the fundamentalist and purist approach to Christian celebrations. Voldemort held strict views on blood purity (no plebeian Muggle heritage) and the tight exclusivity of the powers of wizardry to aristocratic lineage.

But Halloween is part of the magic of childhood, just as Santa Claus of Christmas is, as is the Easter Bunny that lays those colored eggs with goodies. Children are not yet capable of deep meditation on the eternal fight between good and evil, and the festive events of Christianity that serve to create the simplified tableaus of right and wrong that subliminally build ethical principles in young minds. Yes, perhaps the Trick or Treat concept that underlies Halloween, and the dangerous suggestion that being a demon or a scary creature can get things done (getting a treat) can lead young minds toward the wrong thinking, as Msgr. Quitorio fears. In the Christian-Pagan tradition of Spanish Philippines, pre-adult male Filipinos had the Pangangaluluwa, the equivalent of the Western Trick or Treat where neighbors would be naughtily diverted by singing at the household gate while one of the youths would steal a live chicken in the backyard.

But perhaps the rituals of Halloween and what happens after Halloween must be a full storyline to be completed by parents by way of immersing the young in the very Filipino ritual of All Saints Day. Remember that the original concept of Halloween was that it portrayed the jealousy of the bad supernatural creatures such as witches, demons, and ghosts with the good souls (the saint! s) whose feastday it was the following day. Msgr. Quitorio is right that Halloween is overly celebrated nowadays, not only with the childrens Trick or Treat, but with let your hair down costume parties for adults.

At the cemeteries on the weekend, and on the Monday-Tuesday extended holidays for the All Saints Day observance, it was noted that very few children were brought along. It was mostly an adult thing, where even the teenagers and young adults who brought boomboxes and playing cards in the recent past few years were noticeably absent. One of the most telling signs of the times was the slow business of food stalls. Neither were the home-cooked food brought in calderos (cooking pots) seen in the prevalence of years ago. Mausoleums laden with catered food on chafing dishes for all-day open house for relatives and friends are now few.

Of course, there was the usual traffic inside the cemeteries, what with the intricate one-way flow necessitated by the caravan of vehicles. Filipinos still had to visit their dead on October 30, 31, or November 1 or 2. Nakakahiya naman kung walang bulaklak o kandila man lamang ang patay namin (We would be very shamed if our dead relatives grave will have no candles and flowers to show the world that WE care.) But many relatives do not now stay the whole day at their loved ones graves. About an hour would be the normal stay of a visitor to the grave. Thats enough as long as the symbolic candles and flowers are there. Or drivers and yayas are commissioned to represent family. Is the All Saints Day ritual now merely for show?

Many would say that All Saints Day fanaticism is impractical in todays lifestyle. With the popularity of cremations and ossuaries, crypts have replaced many cemeteries, and visiting in hordes would be physically impossible. But the compact burial structures of today must not discourage the consciousness of families for their dearly departed. Regular visits to crypts or cemeteries, even not on All Saints Day, would preserve the Filipinos deep ! respect for forefathers, a culture which has served well to inculcate the values of family honor and the necessary virtues of honesty and integrity that must accompany these. Honoring the dead provides effective teaching points to our children.

Then they can enjoy Halloween and its fun activities as well. Halloween and All Saints Day must be experienced together.

ahcylagan@yahoo.com