Holy Week in the Philippines

As a nation that highly values religious traditions, Holy Week in the Philippines is celebrated in total solemnity.

Holy Week in the Philippines officially started today, Palm Sunday. People heard mass and brought along their "palaspas" as a tradition inherited during Jesus' time. These "palaspas" after being blessed at the church will be displayed usually near the front door and windows of homes in the belief that they will ward off evil souls and bad luck from entering their homes. After Sunday, offices will only be open for two days since today, Monday, was declared holiday by the Philippine Government to celebrate our "Araw ng Kagitingan" (Day of Valor) holiday.

It's my first time to celebrate holy week in Norway. I attended the christian mass in the morning together with some of my kababayans that I just recently met. I didn't understand anything because the Pastor is using a norwegian language. They have a different way of celebrating the Palm Sunday... there's no usual "palaspas" like what the catholics have. In the afternoon, around 3pm, I'm very lucky that for the first time, I attended a filipino mass in Stavanger. I can't put it into words... when I went inside, I saw that 90% of the people are Filipinos... even the priest is a Filipino and talking in Tagalog. People carry their own "palaspas"... like the traditional way of celebrating it in the Philippines.

I remember, when holy week is coming, due to several non-working holidays, we can expect people to start up filling bus stations and national highways going home to their provinces or just maximizing their holidays by going to beach resorts, pools and other tourist destinations. Traffic jams will switch from EDSA to the North and South Expressways and other national highways. People will crowd at the usual swimming destinations and you could hear events being advertised which will take place at the famous beaches in Boracay and Puerto Galera.

Growing up my brother and I would line the streets with candles, waiting for bloodletting to begin… yep, bloodletting. Beginning at noon on Friday, we would see several men naked from the waist up and walking barefoot as they scourge themselves with ropes or bamboo sticks. It’s a form of atonement for their sins, we were told. The pinacle of this is hanging several men on crosses as a reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion. All across town, there are dramatizations and reciting of the passion of Christ. All across the nation, the lent is celebrated with fervor and solemnity.

In reality, Holy Week in the Philippines is now different compared to 5 or 10 years ago. Before, Holy Week, people are busy preparing for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday at their respective parishes. Washing of the feet, Seven Last Words, Way of the Cross, "Pasyon", "Bisita Iglesia" and "Salubong" are the activities that highlight Holy Week Celebration. Now, although we still see people joining these activities, its very obvious that hotels and resorts are more jampacked compared to churches. Try calling or booking rooms at beaches, resorts and even swimming pools and you will be extremely lucky to get a room.

Honestly, Holy Week is one of the long celebrations that people take advantage to get a pause from the stress and pressures from their work. It's not that they don't respect Holy Week celebration anymore, its just that people say they badly need the vacation to relieve stress.

Times have changed and I wish that Holy Week tradition will still be here when my son grow up. Hopefully, people can adapt better and celebrate the Lenten Season more than just going to the beach. I don't know how will the church adapt to the changing times, but I hope people will at least remember the true meaning of the season. They say that Easter Sunday is more important than Christmas because although we celebrate Jesus' birth in Christmas, we must also celebrate His Rising from the dead during Easter Sunday. And we should always remember his sufferings and sacrifices to save us all and give us a second chance from our sins.