MANILA, Oct. 29, 2011—While many Filipino families will be going to Halloween parties and festivities with their kids dressed up in ghoulish or gory costumes these days, a small group of Catholic families will be celebrating the season in a different manner.
In a desire to keep the “hallow” in Halloween, the ROCKERS – which stands for Roman Catholics Keeping Education Real – will be holding a post-All Saints’ Day party on November 4 at the Medela House in New Manila, Quezon City.
Halloween actually means “the eve of All Hallows” or the eve of All Saints’ Day.
The ROCKERs are a group of Catholic parents who are homeschooling, interested in homeschooling or advocates of homeschooling primarily based in the Philippines (though some members are based elsewhere, such as the United States and Kuwait).
Formed just two months ago on the first Friday of September, the group is composed of some 30 families, mostly Filipino, though an American is part of the group. Members stay connected with each other primarily through their Facebook group (ROCKERs Philippines) and e-mail group (rockersphilippines@googlegroups.com).
The group’s blog – http://rockersph.wordpress.com – aims to provide useful tips for Catholic parents, especially those who are homeschooling.
The ROCKERs based in Manila and the nearby provinces have a monthly get-together every First Friday, through which parents can receive support and get tips on homeschooling and parenting.
The group’s October meeting, however, provided the kids a chance to interact with each other and had them enjoy a creative interactive storytelling session courtesy of My Masterpiece Movement.
At the November 4 post-All Saints’ Day ROCKERs event, both children and parents are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Catholic saint or “icon.” The meaning of All Saints’ Day will be explained through a simple storytelling session, and Catholic saint-themed games will be played. Among other interesting plans are the serving of Saint-themed snacks and drinks.
Through all these, ROCKERs hope to instill in their children a greater appreciation and fondness for All Saints’ Day rather than focusing on the over-secularized Halloween festivities that abound during this time. As parents intent on preparing their children for eternity, the ROCKERs plan to conduct more activities in the future that celebrate the richness and beauty of the Catholic faith.
For more information about the ROCKERs post-All Saints’ Day event, please send an email to teachermamatina@gmail.com. (Tina Santiago-Rodriguez)
