There is something about Halloween which really catches the imaginations of children, perhaps the candy and sweets! While the Filipinos do not celebrate Halloween the way Westerners do, we do have our own traditions which most Westerners see as odd but rather fascinating.
The very popular trick-or- treat tradition isn’t done in the country, but villages with expatriates held on the tradition and influenced Filipino neighbors to celebrate with them during Halloween. It is indeed that Filipino parents are already influenced by the tradition of the Western because others practice the celebration of trick-or-treat for their children for the reason of both experience and the excitement for their kids.
What is Trick or Treat?
Actually, it is one of the favorite parts of children in Halloween. Literally it means, the practice donning yourself with a costume and asking for treats from your neighbors. It’s the feeling of excitement to open from a door of stranger so you can shout the word trick or treat?!
But what does it really mean?
It is an American Tradition but its origins came from Europe, during the Medieval, the practice of souling, poor people make the rounds begging for food, and they offered prayers for dead on All Souls Day. It evolved from a pagan ritual that was practiced all over Europe, possibly as early as the 10th century.
The modern of trick or treating is a custom borrowed from guising, which children still do in some parts of Scotland. Guising involves dressing in costume and singing a rhyme, doing a card trick, or telling a story in exchange for a sweet. The Scottish and Irish brought the custom to America in the 19th century.
But although, the tradition migrates over time and across different cultures, its common features are asking for food, dressing in disguise and a connection to the spirits of the deceased. But let’s not forget the true essence of Halloween the peace and prayers that we offer to our departed brothers and sisters that they will always remain remembered.
