Trick or Treat (Nangangaluluwa)

Pinoys have their own Halloween tradition, something similar to America's trick or treat. It's been a centuries-old All Saints Day tradition, and few today, even in the provinces, know about it. It's called Nangangaluluwa or Souls Visiting the Living.

Of course, it's not really souls of the dead that do the visitations but also the living. When town folks have all gone to the cemetery on All Saints Day, some mischievous youths wear black hooded cloaks and go around town to look for food in the neighborhood. They'd go into kitchens or dining rooms of various houses, look for food there, and collect them. 

They also take live chickens and eggs from household poultries. Afterwards, they gather somewhere in the forest or hills and cook the food and have picnic. When the folks have gone home from the cemetery vigil, they find their food gone and feel happy that their departed loved ones visited their homes and took some goodies with them to the afterlife.

A friend of mine (I led him in bible studies later)--a janitor from the Department of Agrarian Reform (1980)--told me of instances when, on All Saints and All Souls Day, as teenagers, they'd visit houses as "spirits" and take specially prepared food left there by people for the souls of their visiting dead relatives. They would enjoy rice cakes and grilled food plus other food dishes and groceries. Not content with that, they'd take hens and eggs, too. Then they'd have a feast somewhere and drink indigenous wine, too, and get drunk. 

The tradition is probably a mix of Chinese and Spanish. The Philippines is a melting pot of diverse religious traditions.

We don't need these traditions, and we should be careful trying to imitate the dead like the above. Sometimes, when taken too seriously, traditions like the above serve as openings for evil spirits to come into people's lives and influence them and their families. The bible prohibits talking to the dead, so don't go to the cemetery and talk to your dead loved ones. 

Don't pray for them, because their souls and spirits cannot be "promoted" to heaven through our prayers. We decide where we go after we die while living on earth--not after we die. If you wanna go to heaven, surrender your life NOW to Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior and live out His Word daily. The prayers of your families or relatives after you die CANNOT save you.

And don't be fond of wearing Halloween costumes and masks. Being fond of demons and devil is not pleasing to God. So don't buy your kids these stuff either.

All Saints and Souls can instead be a good day for family or clan reunions where you pray for and enjoy each other. Then play mind-challenging table games.


Above all, make sure you have repented of sins and received Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior.