Philippine Culture: Holy Week in the Philippines and Easter Sunday
By: J. C. Bulan
The celebration lasts for eight days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The days are Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Often, Holy Week falls during summer vacation in the Philippines.
There are specific customs done for each day. During Palm Sunday, church goers bring palm fronds with them to mass. After the mass, the priest walks through the church blessing the palm fronds, imitating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The Palms are blessed and are dried up. Next year all dried palms are gathered and burnt to be used on the next year’s Ash Wednesday. Holy Week is always spent with the family, like Christmas, but this time its the whole week.
There are three events on Maundy Thursday. The first is the Chrism mass, the mass where many priests renew their vows. Church tools such as the Chrism, the Oil of the Catechumens, and the Oil of the sick are also blessed on this day. The second mass is the Mass of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper. The Washing of the feet of the Apostles is often during the mass.
A very popular event done on this day is the visita iglesia, literally church visit. Seven or more churches are visited, and in each church one station of the cross is meditated upon. Some famous churches in the undiscovered Philippines include San Agustin Church of Manila, San Sebastian Church of Manila and Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Manila Cathedral is also famous as it is the Archdiocese of Manila.
On Good Friday, the Santo Entierro processions are held. Normally, it features a statue of Christ lying still, but sometimes they also include the crucifix. Philippine tradition also dictates that the last statue be a Sorrowful Mother Mary. Some cities hold this procession silently at midnight, while others hold it during the day while exclaiming, “"¡Señor! Misericordia, Señor!" (Lord! Mercy, Lord!). The sadness of the event brought about the Tagalog saying, “Mukha kang Biyernes Santo” or “You look like Good Friday,” meaning that the person looked miserable.
Easter Sunday also has its own processions. In fact, it has two! One carries the statue of the Risen Christ, and the other carries the statue of the Virgin Mary. These parades meet in front of the church mimicking the reunion of Mary and Jesus. Following the Easter parades, there are bells and fireworks, then Easter mass, thus marking the end of the Holy Week.
If you want to experience this parade, in Novaliches Quezon City you can join all the procession and have a photo and share it with us thru blogger.
Notes:
(1) The statues are just reminders of the saints. When we kiss the statues,its like kissing the picture of those people whom we love or we missed in the family.
Courtesy Photos: Mary Ann Bolanos
The celebration lasts for eight days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The days are Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Often, Holy Week falls during summer vacation in the Philippines.
There are specific customs done for each day. During Palm Sunday, church goers bring palm fronds with them to mass. After the mass, the priest walks through the church blessing the palm fronds, imitating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The Palms are blessed and are dried up. Next year all dried palms are gathered and burnt to be used on the next year’s Ash Wednesday. Holy Week is always spent with the family, like Christmas, but this time its the whole week.
There are three events on Maundy Thursday. The first is the Chrism mass, the mass where many priests renew their vows. Church tools such as the Chrism, the Oil of the Catechumens, and the Oil of the sick are also blessed on this day. The second mass is the Mass of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper. The Washing of the feet of the Apostles is often during the mass.
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| During the pilgrimage in one of the Churches, she planned to tell Jesus something at the Last Supper, they took turns. (1). |
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| Then gives a goodbye kiss before living the shrine... St. John received one too (1). |
A very popular event done on this day is the visita iglesia, literally church visit. Seven or more churches are visited, and in each church one station of the cross is meditated upon. Some famous churches in the undiscovered Philippines include San Agustin Church of Manila, San Sebastian Church of Manila and Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Manila Cathedral is also famous as it is the Archdiocese of Manila.
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| Crucifix |
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| Our Lady of Sorrows |
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| Knights of Columbus awaiting the procession. |
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| St. Martha flocked by boys who will walk with the procession. Children join the procession, then goes home after with their families. |
On Good Friday, the Santo Entierro processions are held. Normally, it features a statue of Christ lying still, but sometimes they also include the crucifix. Philippine tradition also dictates that the last statue be a Sorrowful Mother Mary. Some cities hold this procession silently at midnight, while others hold it during the day while exclaiming, “"¡Señor! Misericordia, Señor!" (Lord! Mercy, Lord!). The sadness of the event brought about the Tagalog saying, “Mukha kang Biyernes Santo” or “You look like Good Friday,” meaning that the person looked miserable.
Easter Sunday also has its own processions. In fact, it has two! One carries the statue of the Risen Christ, and the other carries the statue of the Virgin Mary. These parades meet in front of the church mimicking the reunion of Mary and Jesus. Following the Easter parades, there are bells and fireworks, then Easter mass, thus marking the end of the Holy Week.
If you want to experience this parade, in Novaliches Quezon City you can join all the procession and have a photo and share it with us thru blogger.
Notes:
(1) The statues are just reminders of the saints. When we kiss the statues,its like kissing the picture of those people whom we love or we missed in the family.
Courtesy Photos: Mary Ann Bolanos
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