UNDER THE MICRCOSCOPE
Halloween is a corruption of the Christian feast of All Hallows Day, dedicated to the saints (hallows) and our dear departed kin. It has been turned into a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural.
The Philippines has its own supernatural folklore with its pantheon of characters. There’s the “kapre,” a giant cigar-smoking ogre; the “aswang,” a shape-shifting ghoul that preys on human blood; the “manananggal,” which can separate its upper and lower body and sprout wings on its shoulders, looking for pregnant women to devour their unborn babies; the “tiyanak,” that disguises as a baby and attacks when picked up.
The “tikbalang” is a horse-headed monster that likes to play p
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