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| FRIGHT NIGHT, DAUGHTERS OF AMERICAN VETERANS, 1929 HALLOWE'EN PARTY |
Death came early for Filipinos in the 19th century; life
expectancy was just about 35 years. Life, was indeed precious, which was why,
death was considered major rite of passage, with ceremonies and post-mortem
practices created around the inevitable.
All Saints’ Day (Todos Los Santos,
on Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2)--2 distinct observances that Filipinos
have merged as one—have been providing the perfect backdrops for rituals and
activities practiced in many parts of the Philippines. Chief among these is the
practice of pangangaluluwa (for the
souls)
 |
| PANGANGALULUWA. Illustration by Pepito Frianeza, Filipino Heritage, vol. IX |
Prevalent in Tagalog regions, pangangaluluwa originated from the belief that souls in purgatory
need not just prayers but material things to make the transition to heaven. As
such, people, impersonating souls, go from house to house, seeking for alms as
they sing songs that end with an urgent exhortation to “hurry up or the
heaven’s gate will close on us”.
 |
| GOSU SINGERS, from CKS book,by Cris Cadiang |
A Kapampangan version is the singing of death-inspired
songs called gosos from house to
house on October 31. Much like carolers, they are rewarded by money or with
food (In Nueva Ecija, sticky rice cakes or suman,
are doled out to children). If the manggogosu
are ignored, they pelt the house with stones, or steal a chicken or fruit from the owner’s garden—similar to
trick or treating during Hallowe’en.
 |
| AN AMERICAN COSTUME PARTY, 1929 |
Hallowe’en celebrations are becoming more widespread in
the country, mostly in cities and urban areas, perhaps due to the visual
attractions of costumes and make-up. Hallowe'en is a contraction of “Hallow’s
Evening”, the eve of All Saints Day. Halloween traditions evolved from ancient
Celtic harvest festivals that began as pagan rites, and later Christianized.
 |
| AMERICAN COSTUME PARTY |
Customs and practices like trick-or-treating, parties
with horror themes, wearing masks and guises, carving and lighting
jack-o-lantern pumpkins, playing pranks, divination games—have all been developed
through the years, attaining greater popularity in Europe and America.
 |
| GERMAN CLUB HALLOWE'EN NIGHT PARTY. 1929 |
The Philippines was introduced to the concept of
Hallowe’en parties by foreigners led by Americans, British, Spanish and
Germans, expatriates who organized their own clubs or “sociedad de recreo” for
social leisure. There was the Casino
Español (the oldest, at Pasaje de Perez), Manila or English Club (at Nagtahan,
with a branch at Plaza San Miguel), and
the German Casino Union at Solano St.
The clubs organized leisure activities like concerts,
operas, stage and musical plays, but the most popular were the exclusive themed
parties: danzas, masquerades, costume balls—and the first Hallowe’en parties
were first conducted in the 1920s within these elite circles.
 |
| PARTY THROWN BY GEORGE FAIRCHILD, ARMY NAVY CLUB, Manila. |
In time, socio-civic organizations took up the cue and
groups like the “Daughters of American Veterans” (of the Spanish-American war)
which, from 1929, regularly held their Hallowe’en
socials in full costume regalia, at La Palma de Mallorca Hotel in Intramuros.
Not to be outdone were the members of the German Club, who gather together in
their native costumes every last week of October for their Hallowe’en event in
their clubhouse in Manila.
It took awhile to cascade the idea of a Hallowe’en along
with its trappings to Filipinos who were “Catolico cerrados” and who shied away
from figures of horror like demons and goblins, strictly sticking to their
undas tradition of cemetery visits and masses for the dead. In the Commonwealth
era, Filipino high society took to
having costumed parties—but mostly based on wholesome characters.
 |
| MANILA CARNIVAL COSTUME WINNERS |
The biggest national party—the Manila Carnival—gave
Filipinos the platform to express their creativity, as the fair featured costume contests that
drew outlandish, often horrifying costume entries. But these were worn for
competition, not designed for Hallowe’en.
It was only in the 70s that the novelty of Hallowe’en
parties was appreciated by Pinoys, fanned by commercial establishments which
began riding on religious events to drum up their sales. Hence, Holy Week
culminated with an Easter Egg Hunt, Christmases became mega-sales events—and
All Saints’ Day—a fright night costume extravaganza.
Today, malls, bars and clubs, companies, schools,
villages and every other neighborhood have imbibed the spirit of
Hallowe’en, spooking up their places,
holding their own trick or treats and monster costume contests, staging
terrifying zombie runs and haunted house visits. The Church is saying “Boo!” to
all these displays of “pagan fun”, but for most Filipinos, it’s just another
day to “chill”.
SOURCES:
Graphic Magazine, various 1929 issues.
Cadiang, Cris. Gale at Gosu. Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University.
Mallari, Joel P., Serenata. A Treasury of Kapampangan Folk Songs. CKS, Holy Angel University
Illustration by Pepito Frianeza, "Pangangaluluwa", Filipino Heritage, vol. IX.
