De la Misa a la Mesa! Feasts in Bohol
Today is the "Bisperas" (Vespers) of the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker here in my "home-city"--Tagbilaran. This day also marks the beginning of the unique fiesta celebration here in the island province of Bohol, that is, the daily fiesta.
Boholanos are always known for their love and seemingly insatiable appetite to feast in the month of May. Everyday, there is always a town or a barrio that is celebrating a feast. If you know the place and date, you wouldn't go hungry for a month!
The Good Thing About Feasts
What is unique here in Bohol? A feast is normally celebrated within 3 days (sometimes 4) in connection to the feast day. There's the "Bisperas/Disperas" (from the word "Vespers") which is the day before the feast. Then comes the feast day proper. Finally, there is the day after the feast. In other towns, there is even called the "Ante-disperas" which is the day before "Bisperas".
One thing that's good about feasts here in our province is that everyone is welcome. Anyone can just enter the house and dine-in. Then, if one asks, one could even bring a "bring-house", that is, extra food in a cellophane bag for one's family at home. This is colloquialy called a "cellphone", that is "cellophane pun-on" (fully filled cellophane bag). Like hey, where do you get to eat for free and bring also extra food? It's only here in Bohol! :-D
Though the practice of welcoming strangers into the house is no longer that common in the city, it is still a practice especially in the towns. Of course, many still give their guests "bring-house food" if they ask for it.
Boholanos who are living outside Bohol and have put up communihties in other places such as Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon still observe this praiseworthy practice of welcoming strangers. They even welcome our less-fortunate Badgao brothers into their homes to eat!
Every Boholano always has that need to go home during feast days because it is a rare period where the family gets together again and relatives from afar also come to visit. It is indeed a time for the family to reunited once again.
Feasts are also a time to render thanksgiving to the patron saint of the town or barrio. It is primarily a religious observance and also a living expression of the faith of the people. These feasts have always been religious in nature. The civil government still also takes part in this by cooperating with the parish regarding the festivities.
For all the good that lies in Boholano feasts there's always a downside to them.
Forgetting the Main Deal
If we celebrate All Souls' Day on November 2, pigs, chicken, cows, goats and even carabaos begin to celebrate theirs on the 30th of April till the 31st of May. It's a one-month death sentence for all these farm animals!
People spend a lot preparing for feasts. Sometimes, a year-long savings is made to prepare financially for these feasts. Some even resort to credit in order just to present a feast worthy of a king. But when the month of May ends, debts start pouring in. The tendency to spend lavishly is rewarded by incurred debts that are hard to pay.
My father used to save a lot and spend a lot, too, when it comes to feasts. During May, we would have three celebrations: May 1, that's the feastday for Tagbilaran City; May 11, my sister's birthday, and; May 15-16, a feast in Naatang, Jagna, Bohol, my father's hometown. It was such a financial drain. Ever since my father retired, we have since reduced the expenses. Preferring to spend more on the feast in Naatang, sometimes almost sacrificing my sister's birthday, and cooking just a little on May 1. Recently, we've just kept things simpler since finances are no longer as abundant as they used to be especially after my father passed away. We still celebrate in our own little way.
There's a lot of work to do when there's a feast. So what happens is that, the people preparing for the feast fail to attend Holy Mass especially on the feast day because of all the preparations going on at home. We tend to forget the main deal. We feast in honor and in thanksgiving for our town's patron saint. The higher feast we should partake in is the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, that is, the Holy Mass.
The civil government also joins in on the festivities by having its own set of activities of fun and enjoyment for the people. Discos at the local basketball court are a common activity during fiestas. This is usually done during Disperas. What happens is, many are unable to go to Mass the next day since they slept late or got drunk. Because of this, a neighbor diocese has told its priests not to celebrate Mass on feast days if the baranggay or municipal government insists on staging disco parties the night before. Because of this, they have been cooperative with the Church who in turn reminds them that the feasts are primarily a religious activity.
De la Misa a la Mesa
"Gikan sa Misa padung sa La Mesa" (From the Mass to the Dinner Table) -- an adage full of religious wisdom!
Feasting is not just only for the patron saint whom we are celebrating. It is also a celebration directed for our own good. When we celebrate the Mass, we are enjoining ourselves upon the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. We 'feast' on Him. We receive Him Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We partake of that feast in heaven in which all the saints and angels behold God face to face.
When we feast, when we gather together as a family, when we welcome strangers into our home to dine with us-- we partake of an earthly feast in order that we will be reminded that we will also partake of a heavenly feast in heaven.
So when we attend feasts, let's go to Mass first and bring that blessing of God and the saint to the homes in which we partake of the thanksgiving. Let's not just binge like gluttons. Rather, let us feast in order to celebrate the goodness of God in his saint and in his creatures.
Happy Fiesta!
 |
| St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral, Seat of the Diocese of Tagbilaran which celebrates its feast on May 1 |
The Good Thing About Feasts
What is unique here in Bohol? A feast is normally celebrated within 3 days (sometimes 4) in connection to the feast day. There's the "Bisperas/Disperas" (from the word "Vespers") which is the day before the feast. Then comes the feast day proper. Finally, there is the day after the feast. In other towns, there is even called the "Ante-disperas" which is the day before "Bisperas".
One thing that's good about feasts here in our province is that everyone is welcome. Anyone can just enter the house and dine-in. Then, if one asks, one could even bring a "bring-house", that is, extra food in a cellophane bag for one's family at home. This is colloquialy called a "cellphone", that is "cellophane pun-on" (fully filled cellophane bag). Like hey, where do you get to eat for free and bring also extra food? It's only here in Bohol! :-D
Though the practice of welcoming strangers into the house is no longer that common in the city, it is still a practice especially in the towns. Of course, many still give their guests "bring-house food" if they ask for it.
Boholanos who are living outside Bohol and have put up communihties in other places such as Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon still observe this praiseworthy practice of welcoming strangers. They even welcome our less-fortunate Badgao brothers into their homes to eat!
Every Boholano always has that need to go home during feast days because it is a rare period where the family gets together again and relatives from afar also come to visit. It is indeed a time for the family to reunited once again.
Feasts are also a time to render thanksgiving to the patron saint of the town or barrio. It is primarily a religious observance and also a living expression of the faith of the people. These feasts have always been religious in nature. The civil government still also takes part in this by cooperating with the parish regarding the festivities.
For all the good that lies in Boholano feasts there's always a downside to them.
Forgetting the Main Deal
If we celebrate All Souls' Day on November 2, pigs, chicken, cows, goats and even carabaos begin to celebrate theirs on the 30th of April till the 31st of May. It's a one-month death sentence for all these farm animals!
People spend a lot preparing for feasts. Sometimes, a year-long savings is made to prepare financially for these feasts. Some even resort to credit in order just to present a feast worthy of a king. But when the month of May ends, debts start pouring in. The tendency to spend lavishly is rewarded by incurred debts that are hard to pay.
My father used to save a lot and spend a lot, too, when it comes to feasts. During May, we would have three celebrations: May 1, that's the feastday for Tagbilaran City; May 11, my sister's birthday, and; May 15-16, a feast in Naatang, Jagna, Bohol, my father's hometown. It was such a financial drain. Ever since my father retired, we have since reduced the expenses. Preferring to spend more on the feast in Naatang, sometimes almost sacrificing my sister's birthday, and cooking just a little on May 1. Recently, we've just kept things simpler since finances are no longer as abundant as they used to be especially after my father passed away. We still celebrate in our own little way.
There's a lot of work to do when there's a feast. So what happens is that, the people preparing for the feast fail to attend Holy Mass especially on the feast day because of all the preparations going on at home. We tend to forget the main deal. We feast in honor and in thanksgiving for our town's patron saint. The higher feast we should partake in is the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, that is, the Holy Mass.
The civil government also joins in on the festivities by having its own set of activities of fun and enjoyment for the people. Discos at the local basketball court are a common activity during fiestas. This is usually done during Disperas. What happens is, many are unable to go to Mass the next day since they slept late or got drunk. Because of this, a neighbor diocese has told its priests not to celebrate Mass on feast days if the baranggay or municipal government insists on staging disco parties the night before. Because of this, they have been cooperative with the Church who in turn reminds them that the feasts are primarily a religious activity.
De la Misa a la Mesa
"Gikan sa Misa padung sa La Mesa" (From the Mass to the Dinner Table) -- an adage full of religious wisdom!
Feasting is not just only for the patron saint whom we are celebrating. It is also a celebration directed for our own good. When we celebrate the Mass, we are enjoining ourselves upon the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. We 'feast' on Him. We receive Him Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We partake of that feast in heaven in which all the saints and angels behold God face to face.
When we feast, when we gather together as a family, when we welcome strangers into our home to dine with us-- we partake of an earthly feast in order that we will be reminded that we will also partake of a heavenly feast in heaven.
So when we attend feasts, let's go to Mass first and bring that blessing of God and the saint to the homes in which we partake of the thanksgiving. Let's not just binge like gluttons. Rather, let us feast in order to celebrate the goodness of God in his saint and in his creatures.
Happy Fiesta!
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