Rise of the Veil

Publication Date: October 30, 2013

Note: This was obviously published in celebration of the Holloween last. Before this article, all I know was that Holloween isn't usually celebrated here in the Philippines and it's just a recent adaptation in our culture from the West. I enjoyed much of my research here about the history of Holloween, and I hope that you'll be enlightened while you are entertained(as much as I did) in learning the roots of this tradition.

Once a year, during the ancient Gaelic culture, there is a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest and the deceased would come back to life, causing havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. They call this the Samhain on the ancient era. This tradition endured up to this day on a different name, Holloween.

Holloween, rooting from the ancient Celtic festival, marks the end of harvest and signals the start of the darker half of the year, the winter. The word is a contraction of All Hallow’s Evening or popularly known as Hallowe’en or All Hallow’s eve.There are few modern adaptations in celebrating Halloween which also originated in this culture, and as well as some ancient traditions which are now also practiced in the celebration.

The Candle-lit pumpkin, or what’s more popularly known as Jack O’lantern that we display during Holloween, can be traced back to Ireland. According to their history, Jack O’lantern was named after Stingy Jack, a mischievous man who loves to play tricks on everyone, even the devil himself. After he died, his soul was not allowed in heaven because he didn’t believe in God. Unfortunately he was also not given passage into hell because of the promise the spiteful devil made. Left with no choice, Jack is now roaming forever on earth without a resting place, with the Pumpkin he carved and the fiery coal that the devil has given him, so he could light his way through the darkness of earth.

Trick or treat and the costume parties, which have become the highlight of holloween not only among children but adults as well, also traces its origin to history. The custom resembles the Medieval practice called souling, when poor folks would go door to door, begging for food in exchange for prayers. The ancient people also believed that wearing mask and costume would appease or beguille the spirits so they won’t harm them. Today, the practice is still done with the children walking door-to-door, in their costumes. They would knock and ask the house owner “trick or treat?” Failure to provide treats would result in practical jokes.

In the Philippines, Halloween is more or less an adaptation of the Western celebration and is usually celebrated in urban areas where people throw parties and adults encourage children to go on Trick or Treating, during the last week of October. However, for the most part of the Philippines, which is comprised of provinces, people prefer to celebrate the Philippine tradition, popularly known as Undas, on November 1. During this holiday, families go to the graves of their loved ones, and stay for the night. Some children huddle in parts of cemetery, trying to spook each other with ghost stories passed down from one generation to another, as well as collecting the remnants of the candles all over the place, so they could mold it to a different shape. Lighting a candle in front of one’s house is also a practice for the Catholics in the belief that the souls of their loved ones will walk on earth, and the flaming candles will light their way back home.