Life and Culture - Nangangaluluwa Po

NANGANGALULUWA PO!!!

By: Chiqui Desphy

The ‘ber’ (September, October, November and December) months in the Philippines usher in cooler winds and a respite from the typhoons and constant flooding. With it comes the subconscious realisation that Christmas is around the corner, held in abeyance by the long weekends of All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day. In my childhood, my mom tried to curb my excitement over Christmas—’wait until the November long weekend is over’. During that time, even the retailers respected the solemnity of these days; they waited until November 3 before putting up the tinsel and cranking up the Christmas carols.

Living in Australia, I reflect on the rites, customs and superstitions associated with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day back in the Philippines. All Saints’ Day (colloquially known as Todos Los Santos or Undas) and All Souls’ Day (Araw ng mga Patay or Dia de los Muertos) are Roman Catholic holidays celebrated on November 1 and November 2 respectively. These days are reserved for prayers and gifts for those who have departed, based on the belief that the souls suffering in purgatory are lifted by these offerings.

A day before November 1, most families visit the cemetery and clean up the tomb—weeding, repainting and removing as much disrepair as possible. The cemetery’s housekeeping hustle and bustle give way for the next day’s solemn and somber start. Prayers for the dead are accompanied by the flickering flames of numerous candles. The mood becomes more festive—food, music and laughter are more prevalent as the day lengthens.

The dead are remembered through storytelling and superstition is rife during the narration. And boy, do we have a lot of these! Some of the more common ones:

· A black butterfly lingering around a person is an omen that a relative has passed away

· At a funeral, babies and very young children are passed over the foot of a deceased person’ coffin to ensure that they do not fall ill

· Dreaming of teeth being pulled out means that someone in the family will die

· Food from a wake or funeral should not be brought home—this will cause bad luck

· Dogs howling at night mean that a soul is passing through

· A coffin should be carried out of the church or a funeral parlour or house head first to prevent  the soul of the dead from coming back

And then there is the uniquely Filipino practice of ‘’pangangaluluwa’. I experienced this tradition while holidaying in Batangas. We were settled in bed for the night, the windows of the bahay kubo open and the music of soothing waves lulling us to sleep. All of a sudden, the quiet night air was filled with sounds of...caroling?! But not of Christmas songs! I can’t remember the words of the songs, but I do remember that these were melancholy (and out of tune). My dad explained that it was pangangaluluwa’, a tradition meant to represent the soul’s search for relief in purgatory through alms and gifts. As with caroling, the nangangaluluwa wait for gifts and money. This is a fading tradition now, most often practiced in outlying rural areas.

Even though the commercialised Halloween celebrations have been more evident in the past decade in the Philippines, I’d like to think that the customs observed by the Catholic majority are more reflective of the nature of these holy days. And true to the Filipino nature of overcoming adversity, these holidays are transformed from the rite of commemorating death to that of celebrating life.