Rituals
Hitting the cemeteries on November 1st is a national appointment for the religious here in the Philippines. Certainly it became a major calendar event in our family, as my mother decreed it, when my father died many years ago. So for us, it became a yearly picnic to go to Loyola (where our dead are buried), all of us 8 siblings (or recently 7) with our kids, lugging our coolers, food hampers, big candles and assorted white flowers procured from Dangwa flower market from the previous night -- all these props and provisions essential to camp out the whole afternoon around dad's space.
Halloween, I cannot recall at which point it became as Pinoy and celebrated as Undas (All Soul's Day) but at some point we just happily adapted. I know it got marked in my calendar when I started having kids. I know I managed to procure the most original costumes for my eldest daughter then -- one time a lobster costume, another time a hotdog sandwich one, back at a time when little girls were supposed to be princesses. She jokes me that I scarred her for life for having made her wear those costumes when she wanted to be a ballerina. Oh dear. But at least she can thank me now for having those cute halloween pictures to show for.
Yesterday I went shopping with my little girl to pick out candies for the little lootbags we wanted to assemble. I was happy to find candy brands I knew from childhood, although the present versions are radically reduced in size. The Bazooka bubblegum, for instance, now come as little pink squares when they used to be a heftier rectangle, wrapped in wax paper printed with a piece of comic strip that I loved to horde. I got Orange Swits, these individually wrapped sugared orange jelly kisses, but did away with the other old familiar candy like White Rabbit and Buterball since the nostalgia would be lost on my daughter anyway. Instead, I allowed her to make an assortment of chocolates, marshmallows, lollipops, fruity chews and jelly cups which ultimately set us back Php5000, and had us carting out a very big box of candy. Halloween, I presume, is the cause for higher incidents of pediatric dental appointments around this time.
With our home decked out to scare the tricksters, their candy waiting to be given out to them, and dad's tomb recently sanded and all set for a picnic now, we are all geared up and feeling festive for Halloween and All Soul's Day. I love it, I love it.
Filed Under: Mania
Halloween, I cannot recall at which point it became as Pinoy and celebrated as Undas (All Soul's Day) but at some point we just happily adapted. I know it got marked in my calendar when I started having kids. I know I managed to procure the most original costumes for my eldest daughter then -- one time a lobster costume, another time a hotdog sandwich one, back at a time when little girls were supposed to be princesses. She jokes me that I scarred her for life for having made her wear those costumes when she wanted to be a ballerina. Oh dear. But at least she can thank me now for having those cute halloween pictures to show for.
Yesterday I went shopping with my little girl to pick out candies for the little lootbags we wanted to assemble. I was happy to find candy brands I knew from childhood, although the present versions are radically reduced in size. The Bazooka bubblegum, for instance, now come as little pink squares when they used to be a heftier rectangle, wrapped in wax paper printed with a piece of comic strip that I loved to horde. I got Orange Swits, these individually wrapped sugared orange jelly kisses, but did away with the other old familiar candy like White Rabbit and Buterball since the nostalgia would be lost on my daughter anyway. Instead, I allowed her to make an assortment of chocolates, marshmallows, lollipops, fruity chews and jelly cups which ultimately set us back Php5000, and had us carting out a very big box of candy. Halloween, I presume, is the cause for higher incidents of pediatric dental appointments around this time.
With our home decked out to scare the tricksters, their candy waiting to be given out to them, and dad's tomb recently sanded and all set for a picnic now, we are all geared up and feeling festive for Halloween and All Soul's Day. I love it, I love it.
Filed Under: Mania
Poppycock | 10/28/2004 |
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