Life’s Sneak Preview

For a few weeks already, you’ve seen it in stores. You pass right by it on your way through the door. Displays are set up at the entrance so there’s no chance that you could possibly miss it. What am I talking about? Halloween goodies and costumes, of course! Trick or Treat is here!!

Yes, it’s that time of year again when kids young and old dress up in their favorite costumes and for a few hours one evening, run from door to door, promising a trick when they don’t get a treat. A popcorn ball here, a caramel apple there, the paper bags groaning under the strain of the kind of sweets that would make any dentist salvitate for your business. Most of all, it’s a time for spending a few beautiful hours on a fantastic fall evening visiting with friends and neighbors while snapping a few pictures for the family album.

Most of you may not know the real history behind this Halloween tradition. Its origin is somewhat hazy and certainly not 100% factual, but I tend to think it is. Back during the time when the Celts practiced their pagan religion rite of summer’s end and winter’s beginning (called Samhain), they believed that it was a night where the thin veil that separates the living from the dead was lifted. Some thought that the spirits would roam the countryside at night in search of bodies and/or homes to possess for the next year. In an effort to spare their house and home, they began to leave food out on the doorsteps as an offering to help in their search thinking that the spirit would take pity.

The next morning, villagers across the land would awake, many to find that the food had been taken from their doorstep. A few disbelievers here and there voiced that it must have been nocturnal animals that ate the food. Those that did believe would swear that they peeked from behind darkened curtains and saw with their own eyes the spirits "spiriting" away the food.

Finally, a few wised up and noticed that many of the children were not that hungry the next day. Seeing the sum of the equation, they exposed the children as the real bandits of the evening and stopped putting food on their doorstep. The children, in the "spirit" of playfulness, continued to dress up as ghouls, goblins, and ghost, running around the neighborhood pretending to be a spirit and begging for food. In return, they would offer up prayers for their dead relatives.

Over time, this custom has undergone several modifications, each generation adapting the practice to their own. The only constant throughout is the offering of food, which, in our modern time, has morphed into sweets rather than cakes and pies much to the excitement of the children. One such manifestation is our very own Trick or Treat at Philcom. It has been the practice of the company to throw a Halloween Party for the employee’s dependents ages 1 to 10 years old. Hundreds of kids filled the spooky party room, all dressed up with their creepy halloween costumes. Lots of games and surprises await those little creatures.. including their nannies, hehe! Awards were given to the Most Scary Halloween Costume, Best in Fairy Tale Costume, and Best in Superhero Costume. Not to be outdone, the "trick-o’-treaters" had put on some scary outfits too! (and that includes me, awooo! hihihihihi!). To make the station more scary, the entire room was dimmed, candles were lit, pc’s with horrifying screensavers were turned on, and creepy music were played on the background. Whew! I guess I heard not one, not two, but dozens of kids screaming and wailing in terror! Awooo! But.. ooops! There was no way those kids be frightened all over, ‘coz the "treats" are coming in! Whew! Lots of toys, candies, chocolates, and all other goodies were handed to them as they presented their pumpkin baskets and trick bags. Nobody went home empty-handed then. It was all fun.. both for the kids and the adults as well!

Happy Halloween!!