While most kids associate this spooky holiday with trick-or-treating, I, however, view this as a time to spend with family, sharing ghost stories and of course, watching scary shows on TV!
Like most Filipino families, ours, too, would troop to the cemetery to honor our dead. We'd arrive at around 6:00 p.m., bringing along the makings of dinner and leave around 2 or 3 the following early morn. If you thought this made for one long, boring night, well, guess again.
Extended families would come to the family (clan) plot in South Cemetery. Relatives we rarely ever see except during this dreary (?) holiday. (Ironic, isn't it?) And while the adults swapped stories, we kids would play hide-and-seek, cards or my favorite All Soul's Day game of all, make the biggest candle wax ball! (A silly game wherein you collect the wax drippings from the candles and shape it into a sphere.)
I never could remember which annoyed tito (uncle) or tita (aunt) got us started into this, but one thing's for sure, this kept us many an hour busy. Silly, I know but a whole lot of fun for us children.
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| Scared much? |
Magandang Gabi, Bayan's Halloween Specials
I rarely watch this show except for their Halloween special. If you ask me, Noli de Castro is the PERFECT host for such a scary episode. It never was just the same when he left for politics. (Pfft!)
I remember sitting in front of the TV, eyes wide staring straight at the boob tube. Nary a peep or a blink would you catch me doing lest I miss a scary scene. Afterwards, I'd spend a number of nights scared out of my wits. Hehehe! Call me a sadist, but nothing sure beats a scary tale on a creepy night.
Castle Ghosts Series
Discovery Channel not only fuelled my love of European histories, it also introduced me to their Castle Ghosts series -- a succession of episodes featuring tales of famous castle hauntings in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The effects are out-of-this-world scary with very creepy retellings of popular folklore/legends and present-day ghost sightings.
What's your favorite Halloween tradition?
Happy Halloween, everyone!
My fave tradition is yong sabay sabay kmi pupunta sa cementeryo with my family then makikita mo dun yong iba ka pamilya mo at mga friends at more chikahan.com kyo:) para reunion ang ganap!:)
ReplyDeleteand so sad work is in between kaya ito nasa office pa rin ako:(
I miss MGB Halloween episodes a lot.
ReplyDeletewhat i like kapag halloween e yung nagsassama sama kaming magpipinsan pag visit sa tomb ng uncle ko. masaya lang kami na andun kami lahat. kain kain, laro laro, kulitan. tapos ikot2 kami sa cemetery para maghanap ng kakilala. hehehe
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that Halloween is not as spooky for your family since it brings your family closer. As for us though, Halloween and All Saints' Day are both spent at home -- watching tv, sharing stories and bonding with the family. We usually visit kasi our departed weeks before Nov.1. :)
ReplyDelete@SunnyToast: Working on holiday? Masyado kang masipag, SunnyToast. =)
ReplyDelete@Aria: Agree. =)
@Nuna: Same here. This holiday really isn;t as dreary as it seems. Hehehe! =)
@Sumi Go: That's a good practice. Visiting the cemeteries on Oct 31 and Nov 1 is killer! =D