"The gradual adoption of Halloween in its Westernized form over time shows that how we think about festivals and traditions is not static."
"The gradual adoption of Halloween in its Westernized form over time shows that how we think about festivals and traditions is not static."I remember the time when there was no ‘Halloween’ custom to speak of, but commercialization and the Filipino penchant for eagerly adopting and adapting anything to do with festivities has made it ubiquitous and near-inescapable.
It used to be that when the ‘ber’ months came around, Christmas trees and garlands went up in the malls and carols pealed over the speakers. Nowadays, October is orange and black all over as establishments put up grinning jack-o-lanterns, fake spiderwebs, and witch and spider cutouts on their glass doors. Halloween first before Christmas!
It used to be that Halloween was practically unknown except as something read about in books and observed only by the expat community and international schools. Nowadays even offices have trick-or-treat events for the children of employees. Parents spend a pretty penny on costumes for their children, while teenagers and grownups dress up as their favorite anime or other fictional characters to attend midnight parties.
It used to be that the end of October saw folks packing up for trips back to their hometowns to observe Undas. The important dates during this season were All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days. Graveyards were packed with people spending vigil at the tombs of their departed relatives, many picnicking with food and some with liquor. Children ran around collecting melted wax from burning candles to mold them into fantastic shapes. And as the night grew deeper, it was the storytellers in the family who took center stage to tell tales about the dear departed, or about ghosts.
It used to be that those who turned a profit at this time were the florists and candle sellers. There were years when even simple esperma candles were sold out and flowers were going for more than they cost on Valentine’s Day. Today the ones who make money are the merchants who use savvy marketing to sell costumes and facepaint and plastic pumpkin buckets and candy for trick-or-treat—things unknown before and considered unnecessary until the Halloween craze caught on.
It used to be that this season was a solemn occasion for elders who felt their mortality keenest around this time, but was also a joyous one for the informal reunions that took place around the graves of ancestors. Quarrels were patched up and hands shaken across the lapida of long-gone parents. Aunts marveled at how big their nephews and nieces had grown in a year. Family gossip was shared and promises were made to see each other in less macabre surroundings.
It used to be that the season wore a religious cast. All Saints’ and All Souls’ are, after all, church festivals that commemorate the lives of the saints and those who are now in Heaven. Back then the Church militant took this to heart, and had Masses said for their dead, while beside tombs rosary beads clacked and prayers were murmured sotto voce. Today, perhaps only the nearest and dearest of the departed will take a moment to say a prayer.
It used to be that Christmas held undisputed sway over the ‘ber’ months, but it hasn’t been that way for quite some time. We say that when the calendar turns over to Sept. 1, Jose Mari Chan’s songs play right on cue, but do they, really, now that Halloween has taken October over?
My daughters, who are in their 20s, don’t remember a time without Halloween. “Wasn’t I Pink Ranger in second grade?” says the elder. “I was grade three when you had a jockey costume made for me!” chimes the younger. Has it been that long since Halloween took over October? Has it been a couple of decades now since this Western tradition has infiltrated our customs and traditions?
When it comes to opportunities for parties and dressing up, Filipinos say ‘the more the merrier’ and embrace whatever it is as long as it can be an excuse for food, drink, and conviviality. So although the adoption of Halloween as an annual festival started off slow, once it was underway it picked up steam and today it is almost a juggernaut running over the turf Christmas used to stroll over.
Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy the fun of Halloween. I love me a fat pumpkin bucket filled with candy to share while wearing a goofy headband of bat ears. But the gradual adoption of Halloween in its Westernized form over time shows that how we think about festivals and traditions is not static; it evolves as ideas from elsewhere are shared. As society changes its tastes of what are and are not fashionable, it is up to each family to create their own holiday traditions that reflect their values and provide moments to cherish in memory.
To all, a Happy Halloween and All Saints’ and All Souls’—whatever you observe, may it be in peace and joy in the warmth of family and friends. Blessed be.
Filipino saying: ‘Huwag kang matakot sa patay, mas matakot ka sa buhay!’ /FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO