Festivities and Celebrations the Pinoy way

Festivities and Celebrations (important dates)

- (1 January) New Year’s Day
- (Thursday through Sunday) Easter
- (9 April) Bataan Day
- (6 May) Araw ng Kagitingan
- (12 June) Independence Day
- (27 August) National Heroes Day
- (1 November) All Saints’ Day
- (30 November) Bonifacio Day
- (25 December) Christmas Day


The Philippines have what has been called the longest Christmas celebration in the world - three weeks! (from the 16 Dec to the 6 Jan)



The fiesta is part and parcel of Filipino culture. Through good times and bad times, the fiesta must go on. Each city and barrio has at least on local festival of its own, usually on the feast of its patron saint, so that there is always a fiesta going on somewhere in the country.

The fiesta mentioned above is perhaps the single event most conducive to community solidarity each year is the fiesta. Celebrated on the special day of the patron saint of a town or barangay, the fiesta is a time for general feasting. Houses are opened to guests, and food is served in abundance. The fiesta always includes a Mass, but its purpose is unabashedly social. The biggest events include a parade, dance, basketball tournament, cockfights, and other contests, and perhaps a carnival, in addition to much visiting and feasting.
It is no exception during Christmas, which has the biggest and most elaborate festival of all. It is a season celebrated with all the pomp and pageantry the fun-loving Filipinos can manage. I cant wait for Christmas this year!

Week Long Holiday in December

News about the week long holiday in December for banks in the Philippines have been circulating! This has nothing to do with the current financial crisis, but was decreed by Malacanang, which combined the Christmas and New Year merry-making with the 2008 version of Gloria Arroyo's holiday economics.

Together with Christmas and New Year's days and Rizal Day on December 30, plus the Saturday and Sunday in between, banks will be shut down for 8 straight days from December 25 to January 1! This eight day shutdown is creating a financial planning havoc among corporate treasurers and paymasters, who are in a bind as to what date the last paycheck for the year should be released.

I am sure there will be alot of merry making and parties going on in Philippines at the end of year! I cant wait!

Easter

Due to the fact that the majority of the people in the Philippines are Roman Catholics Easter is a big national holyday. It is celebrated in several of ways. It the picture you see below you can se how the Filipinos symbolize the pain that Jesus went though.

As I have mentioned the Filipinos who are Roman Catholics take the celebration of Easter very seriously. The town of Cutud is famous for its reenactments of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. The rituals draw devout Catholics and tourists alike, who make a 30-minute walk to reenact the march to Calvary, the site of Christ's crucifixion. Visitors who aren't used to walking along dusty roads in the extreme heat, often do not make it to the end. The event even includes an actual mock crucifixion, with some participants actually being nailed to a cross as you can see in the picture below.

Christmas

Christmas is very big in the Philippines. They actually celebrate the holiday for three weeks in total. This is the longest Christmas celebration in the world. So if you love Christmas you should really go there for your next Christmas holiday.

Imagine Christmas on white sand, blue the sky and the ocean that is even bluer. How wonderful could that be?

Christmas in the Philippines is a mixture of Western and native Filipino traditions. Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, sending Christmas cards, and singing carols have all been inherited from the cultures of the West. However, these have all been adapted to fit the nature and personality of the Filipino people.
Christmas Eve in the Philippines is one of the traditions most families celebrate. It is a night without sleep and a continuous celebration moving right into Christmas Day. As December 24th dawns, the last Mass of Simbang Gabi is attended; then preparation begins for Noche Buena, which is a family feast that takes place after midnight.
The Filipinos love their Christmas and they love their food. Above you see a picture of a typical Filipino Christmas feast.

It is a Filipino tradition for children to visit their godparents and elderly relatives on Christmas day. This child is showing respect for his godmother by taking her hand to his forehead. In return, he receives a blessing or a gift.

National Heroes Day

A very big National day is National Heroes day where they celebrate the filipino heroes.


Above you see a picture of Jezef Rizal, who was doctor from Laguna province. He portrayed the colonial rule as a canser and the Spanish friars as unscrupulous and depraved. When he began to criticize the Spanish rule a new sense of national identity was born. And thats why they celebrate him and other heroes on the National day.