Fun Activities 90s Kids Miss Doing During Undas

Fun Activities 90s Kids Miss Doing During Undas

(Photo credit: mymotheryournanny)

Todos lo Santos or Undas is the time for Filipinos to pay respect to the death. Many people take advantage of the long weekend, so they go to their provinces and spend time with their families, while other see this an opportunity to travel and relax.

Visiting the cemetery is also a common Filipino tradition during Araw ng mga Patay. Here people light candle and pray for the souls of their dead loves ones. While adults take Undas seriously, kids typically do not.

During the ‘90s when internet was expensive and playing streets games was the coolest thing you can do with your barkada, kids see Undas differently.

Here are the activities every  ’90s  kid miss doing during Halloween:

Take a family vacation

Sure you go still go on holidays today, but it is not as fun as before when all you need to worry is bringing your favorite toy. During this vacation you meet with your relatives and play with your cousins. It’s like a summer vacation only shorter and a visit to the cemetery is a must. Cemetery visits turn into a family reunion, so you get to play instead of pray.

Dress up for Halloween

Filipinos do nor normally celebrate Halloween the way westerner’s do. It is not a tradition to dress up and go door to door to ask for treats. But as Filipinos have very westernized mind set, trick or treat has been a welcome event among the people. Private companies and residential areas open their doors for cute kids in costumes.

Before, ready-made costumes were rare. Kids did their own outfit made from old clothes. They stained their faces with either powder or lipstick, and they’re good to go.

Collect candies and chocolates

As a result of hours of roaming around, kids in costumes get loads of candies and sweets. You’re lucky if you grab some imported chocolates like Snickers and Kisses, but local treats like Serg’s and Choc-nut are good enough.

Devour delicious food

Just like Christmas and New Year, Filipino families prepare food either at home or in the cemetery. The food is supposed to be an offering to the deceased loved ones, but off course the spirit cannot finish them all. It’s up to the kids- the non-diabetic and non-high blood prone members of the family- to eat all the food.

Have fun and collect melted candle wax

The night before the All Soul’s Day, families who could not go to the cemetery light candles in front of their houses. This is to guide the spirits back to their family. While adults pray, the kids collect melted wax from the candles. They shape it into balls and compete who makes the bigger one.

Share horror stories

There is no better time to talk about ghosts and hunted places than during Undas. Usually kids converge away from the crowd and share stories one by one. The fun starts when everyone is so scared they can’t go to the bathroom alone. Your senses are heightened as well; you notice the tiniest sound around you and scream whenever your friends scare you.

Watch the scary episode of Magandang Gabi Bayan

November is not complete without watching the horror episode of Magandang Gabi Bayan. The show’s materials are so great, you will never sleep at night with the lights off. Noli de Castro’s voice adds to the realness of the story, which makes it even more terrifying. The feeling when watching the show is like listening to ghost stories from friends, only it’s more graphic and chill-inducing. We hope producers revive the show.

These are just some of the fun stuff you do as a kid during the good old days. You may be adults now and have different perspective about Halloween, but it doesn’t mean you cannot do these activities just like before. Dress up, eat food, share ghost stories and even collect candle wax. After all, as Ron Olson said, your “childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean playtime is.”

How do you spend your Halloween? Do you collect candle wax too? Share your stories below!