There is a tradition in the Philippines that almost has the same bearing to Christmas: The Holy Week. The Lenten Season (sounds like 'The Christmas Season') officially starts during Ash Wednesday, lasting forty days, if I am not mistaken, and ends on Easter Sunday. I am not a Christian expert to itemize the meaning of every detail of Lent, but one thing I can say which is true is that this tradition is another legacy of the Spaniards who brought Christianity to the islands centuries ago.
My own version of Holy Week are memories of grandmother days. There used to be 'pasyon' - during those days. Old women would come to our house, bring about those small books and kneel before the image of the cross and sing the life of Christ. I am looking for the same activity today, probably to align it with my Catholic beliefs. Because when I was young, when I was quite too young to understand, 'pasyon' sounded to me like some un-tuned violin.
Aside from 'pasyon' there was the procession around town in barefoot. It is the modern way of emulating Christ's journey to the Calvary- barefooted. It may not have something to do with my faith, but all that vision of flagellating and being crucified on the cross brings tears to my eyes the whole time. There are songs that speak of that journey, and I could hear my voice quake every time they are sung. I will not write here my acts of faith, whether or not I believe that Jesus Christ is a humanization of God, but there was a particular incident in history- that of darkening of the sky and the quaking of the earth when Jesus Christ died- makes me very true to my chosen faith.
Another activity during Holy Week is the visita iglesia, a Spanish term that literally means 'church visit.' My friends and their families do this the whole time every good Friday. I've never tried this before. On good Fridays I stay at home and listen to cicadas humming on the trees.
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