Hi Iya! Interesting photo of the tradition in the Philippines! I want to mention a festivity celebrated around the same time as Halloween. As a matter of fact, it even has a somewhat similar theme. Thus the celebrations are often "combined" with those of Halloween!
I am talking about the Day of the Dead ("Dia de los muertos") in Mexico! The official days are the first and second of November, but in many parts of the country, celebrations last all of October! The Day of the Dead is when we remember our ancestors' lives. It is, in fact, not a solemn celebration but a rather upbeat one!
Throughout October, many families erect "ofrendas" in their homes. These altars symbolize the journey of the spirit after death. Thus they often have candles, incense and decorations representing the "alebrijes" (spirit animals), or colourfully painted skeletons and skulls. Most prominently the altars often feature the marigold flower (cempasuchil in Mexican Spanish). This flower guides the spirits to the homes of the families and to the altar. Families place photos of their loved ones that are no longer with us on the altars.
On the actual day of the dead, the altar is filled with food, drinks and other objects that the deceased enjoyed most when they were alive, so they can eat and drink on this day when they return to spend time with us.
It is said that the tradition of the day of the dead comes from the centre of Mexico. One of the biggest and most traditional celebrations occurs around the Lake of Patucuaro in the State of Michoacan. I go there every year, and that is where I took the photos! Here, the spirits of our ancestors reside in the lake and leave the lake to visit us on the Day of the Dead. Other parts of Mexico have wildly varying traditions with their own style of decorations, rituals and so forth. Mexico City celebrates all of October and has several big parades! Here you will also find that the whole celebration is a bit more intertwined with Halloween, for the better or the worse.
If you want to learn more about the Day of the Dead, the Disney Movie Coco is an excellent point to start! I recommend watching it in Spanish (with subtitles, if required!). Another comic movie depicting traditions is "The Book of Life". There are also many folklore songs with a "Day of the Dead" theme, the most well-known one is "La Llorona", a tragic tale about a haunting spirit. This song has been interpreted by a vast number of famous Mexican singers. Here is one version:
I personally love the Dia de los muertos. In fact, seeing it for the first time has so deeply touched me that I am always going to Mexico around that time of the year. I love the special effort to remember those loved ones who have already left us. This is something that I think we are abandoning in the west. I also like the cheeky way we deal with death during this time, such as painting ourselves as skeletons. This reminds us that no matter where we are from or what social class we are born into, we all end up in the same place eventually!
