Looking forward to more happy feasts

It is indeed about time to invite foreigners to experience our culture through our fiestas.

After the glorious celebrations of Christmas and the New Year, the happy Filipino now looks forward to more happy feasts. We heard that the tourism arm of the government is now planning to use our colorful festivals to lure tourists to our country. It is ideed about time to invite foreigners to experience our culture through our fiestas. They are full of history, unique music and dance, delicious and exotic food.

Each of these fiestas is always accompanied by frantic preparations for suitable culinary treasures of our country.

First off is Valentine’s Day, 10 days from today. It’s not a traditional fiesta, but an occasion that is also celebrated with much fanfare in the country. It is a day of love, not only among partners but for parents, children, friends. Cards and flowers are the most popular tokens. Our flowers are beautiful, hotels and restaurants give lady guests fresh red roses, meals are specially prepared with hearts and other symbols of love. Did you know that Valentine’s Day was originally a pagan tradition that started in Rome before Christianity?

Then there is Easter, a joyful celebration after the dark Passion Week. The movable fete is now on the first day of April, after the Holy Week. We remember the religious rite in our hometown where it is called the salubong. It is a twin procession of the Blessed Virgin meeting up with her son Jesus from two ends of the town. Hot chocolate and ensaymada topped with queso de bola are served to participants. Today the big event is normally the Easter egg hunt, where children search for the treasured eggs. Some parents may even help their kids in going under the bushes. Light snacks – cookies, juices – are served unless a meal is served by the organizers.

Then there is the Flores de Mayo in May, celebrating Reyna Elena’s reunion with her young son Constantino. For the whole month of May, flowers are offered in church to the Blessed Mother. Young girls do the offering. At the end of the month, a long and elaborate procession with young and beautiful maidens wearing elegant ternos (native gowns) as the sagalas and handsome swains join the procession that culminates in church. Later a sumptuous meal is served by the Hermana Mayor, the head of the organizing group. There could be rellenong manok (stuffed chicken), bringhe (native fiesta rice), salads and even lechon.

There – these are some of our colorful fiestas we can look forward to with great merriment and resolve to lure visitors to our country. Note that these celebrations happen in all parts of the Philippines.

Let’s be proud of our fiestas.