ALL Hallows’ Evening or better known by its contracted form, Halloween, is not an indigenous festivity for the Philippines. It is an adaptation from American culture, and is celebrated during the last week of October.
Halloween feasts on fear if you base it on the number of fright masks sold in malls and horror booths set up throughout urban spots in the country. There’s even now a series of masks “honoring” President Duterte, Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, US President Obama and other personages who have landed in the news.
Fitting into the costume of this season, I looked around for food phobias. They truly suit the short celebration Here’s a lighthearted treatment of food fears.
Methyphobia or fear of alcohol, believe it or not. There will be much drinking during the Halloween party, so if someone runs away from the punchbowl, don’t be surprised. It’s just methyphobia.
Acerophobia or the fear of sourness. People with this phobia avoid sour food, such as mangoes, iba (bilimbi), sour milk, kalamansi (small lemons), sinigang (sour soup) and even sour candy and things like lemons or pickles. It is not mentioned whether they also fear sour faces, soured relationships and sour situations.
Lachanophobia or fear of vegetables. For vegetable eaters like me, this sounds impossible. But some people are sincerely terrified at the sight of any or all vegetables. Maybe they are afraid of accidentally eating a bug while eating the vegetable, or finding a fairy hiding in the broccoli.
Arachibutyrophobia or fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. Maybe as kids, those who have archibutyrophobia once choked on a peanut butter sandwich. In truth, it’s the terrible spelling that scares them off when the teacher asks the class to write the word.
Ichthyophobia or fear of fish. There are people among us who fear the sight, smell and texture of fish. I don’t know when the fear starts, but I can speculate. Maybe from reading too many sea stories about a talking clown fish or chatty blue fish?
Mycophobia or aversion to mushrooms. There are poisonous mushrooms but they never get into the supermarket. Still, some people are afraid they might get poisoned. Ah, to pass up the mushroom soup and the gravy with mushroom is a big loss, but we must be kind to these people for losing the opportunity of tasting such heavenly food.
Deipnophobia or fear of dinner parties, dining with others. This guy is someone you can’t drag to the colorful Halloween party. Leave him alone. Maybe he hates small talk or having to be nice to someone who spilled wine on his white shirt.
Alliumphobia or fear of garlic. Count Dracula should know this. He is the classic example of a man who hates garlic to death. I can’t live without garlic. Given a choice of only between garlic and onion, I would choose garlic.
People who abhor garlic may also avoid anything with strong odors such as green onions, chives, onions or shallots. Money has a strong odor, but alliumphobic people are not known to fear it. They love it as much as we all do, but not too much as to make it the root of all evil.
