DecemberThe Bagobo are a Malay people who live in southeastern Mindanao in the Philippines. In December each year, they observe a ceremony known as the Ginem to thank the spirits for domestic and military successes, to ward off illness, and to drive off the buso, a class of demons feared by the Bagobo because they eat the flesh of the dead. At one time the Bagobo went on a skull raid before the Ginem, tying the skulls to ceremonial poles. Today the poles, without skulls, are decorated and carried into the datu 's, or chief's, house. A chicken is sacrificed, and offerings of clothes and knives are made in the hope that the spirits will grant a good harvest and health. There is feasting, dancing, and singing until dawn. In areas where the ceremony lasts more than one day, the feasting continues.
SOURCES:
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 454