Hallow Moments
Angel Alba | Maui High School, Class of 2026
Every year, Halloween is celebrated with parties, costumes, and candy. Typically, individuals trick-or-treat around their town on Halloween. In the Philippines, Halloween, frequently referred to as Undas, is celebrated for a week, from late October to November 2. The main purpose of this celebration is for the families to come together in remembrance of their departed loved ones. The same event is celebrated in many countries but the hosting varies. Every culture has its way of celebrating Halloween and uniquely honoring the deceased.
During the Night of Halloween, a Maui High School student, Ehra Louise Guiwa spends hours trick-or-treating with her friends. She claims her favorite part of Halloween is “being able to get ready and have a memorable night out with my friends.” To add on, she states because of her biggest sweet tooth she has, she enjoys the candy given out during the evening of Halloween. Ehra further explains “Halloween doesn’t often come, however, when it does, I’m reminded that every year I’m getting older and soon Halloweens will just be me staying in and handing out candy although right now I’m dreading that moment. When it finally comes, I hope to be okay with having some alone time.”
Halloween is not only about trick-or-treating but a great opportunity to get together with friends or families and spend quality time with them. Charis May Palalay is a student at Maui High School who celebrates her Halloween not only by trick-or-treating but also by getting together with her friends and family. She also adds, “I enjoy trick-or-treating with my friends.” She mentions receiving candy is her favorite aspect of going trick-or-treating with her friends when she does get the chance.
A student who attends Baldwin High School, Jobel Marcos normally goes trick-or-treating in neighborhoods, for instance, Maui Lani on Halloween nights. Although the costumes individuals dress up in to show off their Halloween spirit can be highly attentive and intriguing, Jobel says most of the time Halloween can be a little “sketchy.” More specifically, he notes “people might put things you don’t expect in candies.” Even though Halloween is about dressing up and having fun, it’s wise to remain on the lookout for any unusual activities.
One way people like to express their passion for Halloween is by decorating the outside of their homes. Trisha Mariz Basig, a student at Baldwin High School, is cheery to see residents in some parts of Maui still celebrate Halloween. Even though some houses aren’t as presentable as other homes, people still have the desire to show their spirit by passing out candies to trick-or-treaters. “I go door to door to houses full of people and decorations on Halloween, and I spend time with family and friends,” Trisha says. As she continues to visit each property, she enjoys observing all the different and creative ideas individuals have for their costumes.
Long story short, Halloween is a great opportunity to get together with friends and family, to have a fun, memorable night because spending time and making new memories with friends and family is just as important and exciting as candy and costumes. Going back to Undas, Undas is also known as “All Saints Day” and “All Souls Day.” Undas is often celebrated with masses, prayers, offerings of food, candles and flowers. These ceremonies are sometimes held in cemeteries as a way for people to honor the dead and reflect on life.
Google® Is Not Everything … is a monthly column authored by high school students. The title of the column emphasizes education is more than just googling a topic. Google® is a registered trademark. This month’s guest columnist is Angel Alba, a Junior at Maui High School. She is a Cultural Representative of Maui High’s Filipino Cultural Club, a member of HOSA, Upward Bound and the Filipino folk-dance group “La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino.” Angel is in the Nursing pathway at Maui High School and aspires to be a pediatric nurse. In her free time, she enjoys creating blogs, building Lego structures, going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, singing karaoke, and watching dramas or any type of movies that have her interest. She is the daughter of