Holy Week in the Philippines

Holy Week is a significant religious festival in the Philippines. It is known as both “Semana Santa” (the original Spanish name) or by the Filipino name “Mahal na Araw” (literal translation: Lovely Days). The Holy Week starts on a Palm Sunday and the final celebration falls on Easter Sunday. The days of the Holy Week are called Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday.

Beginning Maundy Thursday, businesses in the Philippines either shut down operations until Black Saturday or have later opening and earlier closing times. Many local television and radio stations closedown out of respect, or have limited broadcasting hours. Those that do operate replace normal programming with special religious content and news coverage of religious ceremonies.

Let us now talk about some of the significant festivities/events during the Holy Week.

Palm Sunday

This is a day to commemorate the entrance of the messiah into Jerusalem and how people placed palms on the ground in front of him.

At a mass on Palm Sunday (Filipino: Linggo ng Palaspas), Catholics carry palm fronds to be blessed by the priest. Many Filipinos bring them home after the Mass and place them above their front doors or windows, in the belief that doing so can ward off evil spirits. 

mass attendees bring palms to be blessed

Maundy Thursday 

Maundy Thursday (Filipino: Huwebes Santo) is the beginning of the Triduum, and represents the build-up of events for the week.

            

The main observance of the day is the last Mass before Easter which usually includes a re-enactment of the “Washing of the Feet of the Apostles”. This Mass is followed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament before it is taken to the Altar of Repose. When I was young, I used to observe these since I grew up in a Catholic family.

Beginning in the morning, some people observe the "Visita Iglesia" or "Church Visit", which usually involves going to seven churches to meditate on the Way of the Cross. Many of my friends do this Holy Week activity. Some would even go to different provinces to visit the different churches there.

washing of the feet

Good Friday

Good Friday, or Biyernes Santo, is a public holiday, commemorated with solemn street processions, the Way of the Cross, the commemoration of Jesus' Seven Last Words or Siete Palabras, and a traditional Passion play called the Senakulo.

This day is probably the highly commemorated event in the Holy Week because this day commemorates the death of Jesus. This seems as the highlight of the Holy Week celebration as well. On this day, there are many observances done. This is also considered as the “fasting day” or “fast day”. People are expected to eat just one full meal or if necessary, with 2 small snacks.

The “Way of the Cross” recalls the hardships that Jesus had gone through before he was nailed on the cross. In “Senakulo”, some communities in the Philippines (most especially in the province of Pampanga) , the processions include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance, in fulfillment of a vow, or in thanksgiving for a granted request. The marathon chanting or "pabasa" of the Pasyon, the epic narrative of Christ's Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, usually concludes on this day. “Pabasa” or marathon chanting is started on Holy Monday and continues day and night, for as long as two straight days.

The commemoration of Jesus’ Seven Last Words (Siete Palabras) recapitulates the last words of Jesus before he actually died on the cross. In many churches in the Philippines, they assign speakers for each of the seven words. Each word will have a different speaker and each speaker will share their own explanations and interpretations of the word/s. I sometimes even cry while listening to this, especially if the speaker delivers it in a very heart-felt manner.

a usual scene during a "pabasa"

  

Senakulo

Black Saturday

Holy Saturday known locally as "Black Saturday" or Sabado de Gloria (Spanish expression for "Saturday of Glory"), has the traditional silence and solemnity from the previous day spill over. Preparations are made for the Easter Vigil to be celebrated that evening.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday (Filipino: Pasko/Linggo ng Pagkabuhay) is marked with joyous celebration. Early in the morning (or at dawn), there is what we call “Salubong” (Filipino: meeting), in which statues (normally life-sized or bigger) of the Resurrected Christ and the Virgin Mary are brought in procession together to meet at a designated area. This re-enacts the imagined reunion of Jesus and his mother Mary after the Resurrection.

Salubong

The Virgin Mary is clothed or veiled in black to express bereavement. A girl dressed as an angel, positioned on a specially constructed high platform/scaffold or suspended in mid-air, sings the “Regina Coeli” in Latin or in the vernacular and then dramatically removes the black veil, signifying the end of Mary's grieving. This is accomplished by other "angels" who simply pull off the veil, or tie it to balloons or doves and release these into the air.

When I was a kid, I have always participated in “Salubong” as one of the angels. Until now, I still know how to sing the Latin song “Regina Coeli”. In my hometown, after the black veil is removed, we even throw flowers to the people who witness the event. Since we are on a high platform, the people can catch those flowers. It is believed that the flowers from the angels could be a lucky charm.

Easter Sunday is a great feast day of the Christian liturgical year. On this day, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated. Easter Sunday is the main reason why Christians keep Sunday as the primary day of religious observance.

PHOTO CREDITS:
thaholiday.com
rogerstrukhoff.sys-con.com 
www.adventistonline.com
www.traveltothephilippines.info
www.asianet.it
charm04.tripod.com