The Taotaomo’na Halloween will be held for the first time from October 1, 2024 to October 31. The event features a jungle-like space of Banyan trees called “Nunu ” in Chamorro. Children can dress up as Taotaomo’na, the spirit of the Guamese jungle, learn about Guamese culture, chant “Guello yan guella ” a prayer before entering the jungle, receive cookies from the spirit, and decorate.

The jungles of Guam are said to be inhabited by forest spirits called Taotaomo'na. Taotaomo'na means “former person, ” and is a Guamanian legend in which ancestors became forest spirits to protect nature. It is feared that bad deeds in the jungles will bring evil to the person, and people ask for forgiveness by chanting a prayer called “guello yan guella ” before entering the jungles.

Some demons in Taotaomo'na do evil to living people. For example, if you go into the jungle without permission or bring back things from the jungle without permission, you will be molested by demons. During Taotaomo'na Halloween, people dress up in capes so that Taotaomo'na doesn't recognize them as living people.

A Banyan tree, called nunu in Chamorro, is decorated in the lobby area of the museum to recreate the jungle of Guam. staff dressed as Taotaomona waits for the children on the hanging chairs under the nunu tree. If the children say a prayer “guello yan guella ” before entering the jungle, they can have a conversation with Taotaomo'na and receive cookies.

The cookies you get from Taotaomo'na can be sugar decorated on the spot. You can make your own cookies by using Halloween colored icing such as orange or purple to draw a Halloween motif on the cookies, or by decorating with sparkling sugar sparkles.