Philippines Festivals - Festivals in Philippines

Religion governs most of Singapore's traditional festivals, which are as varied as the multicultural origins of its people. Some festivals are unique to Singapore and Malaysia, while other celebrations, which are also celebrated in Asian countries where they originated, have changed beyond recognition. Most festivals have shed their religious garb to do a secular carnival appearance. The festivals are listed here in the order in which they come depending on the year.

NEW YEAR'S DAY (January)

Most hotels and restaurants and night clubs hold elaborate New Year's Eve dinners with live entertainment. The first of January is a public holiday and offers good opportunity to sleep off the festivities of the night before. The New Year's show produced by the local television is fun too.

PONGAL (January)

The winter harvest festival on Pongal is celebrated in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, on the first day of the month of Thai. This festival falls usually around mid-January, marking the end of the rains and the onset of spring. On Bogh the day before Pongal, bonfires are set up and old clothes and old clay cooking pots are burned in it. On the actual day, people wear new clothes and decorate their homes with strings of fresh mango leaves and decorative patterns or kolam on their doorsteps.

The Pongal, (a dish prepared from newly gathered rice cooked with cashew nuts, butter, peas, milk and raisins) is cooked on this day in a new pot over a stove built over a Kolam with a sun sign. The Pongal is allowed to boil over signifying abundance in the forthcoming year. In Singapore, throngs of Tamilians are seen around the Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road.

KITE FESTIVAL (January)

Organised by the Singapore Kite Association it is held annually in January. The
location is not fixed, it varies year to year.

THAI PUSAM (January)

This is a Hindu Festival, celebrated by the Tamils in honour of Lord Subramanium or Murugan. Men wearing huge steel arches orKavadi, adorned with peacock feathers and flowers, and taking part in a number of penintence ceremonies, walk in a procession from the Sri Perumal Temple to the Chettiar Tank Road Temple. Families gather for special meals and it is customary for older people to give money in bright red packets called hongbao to children. The red colour signifies luck for both the giver and the receiver.

Preparations for the festival begin one month in advance. Chinatown shops bear a festive look. Waxed duck, sausages and other seasonal delicacies such as mandarin oranges, potted chrysanthemums, melon seeds and sweets are some of the traditional purchases. Besides the fun and frolic, this is also the time to settle debts and paying of bills and spring cleaning as it is considered bad luck to enter the new year with something hanging over from the old.


CHINESE NEW YEAR (January /February)

This is the most important time in the year and is a two-day public holiday. Origin of this festival dates back to a legend about a village where the mysterious disappearance of people became a cause for serious concern. It was believed that these disappearance were connected with a monster whose movements were dictated by the lunar cycles. Houses were lit up and various objects painted red were hung outside the house to ward off the monster. According to the legend this trick worked and no-one disappeared. The villagers celebrated and prayed and this practice continues to date.

The Chinese New Year is mainly a family reunion occasion. The two-day holiday culminates with iheChingay parade which takes place at Orchand Road. This is a spectacular parade which includes, a vintage car procession, Malay, Indian, Filipino and Morris dancesH nursery rhymes and cartoon characters in choreographed movements, demonstrations by German shepherd dogs, stilt walkers, lion and dragon dancers, flag-dancers, acrobats and a flotilla of decorated floats wending its way through the city.

This parade is held on the first Sunday after the Chinese New Year's Day.

MONKEY GOD'S FEAST

A huge rock atop the Huo Guoshan mountain, is believed to have given birth to a stone, which the wind transformed into a stone monkey. This monkey is believed to have come to life and eventually became the king of monkeys. The Monkey God is renowned for his bravery in protecting his master, a pilgrim monk, sent by the Tang dynasty emperor to collect Buddhist sutras from India. The feast of the Monkey God who is believed to assume 72 different forms and to cure the sick is held twice a year at the Monkey God Temple in Eng Hoon Street near SengPoh Market Later there is a dramatic procession of people who slash themselves, as if possessed, with blades and distribute paper charms.

QING MING (April)

It is the Chinese equivalent of All Soul's Day, celebrated by the filial in honour of their ancestors. It is a family event, where the entire family visits the cemetery, cleans the ancestral graves, and offers food and joss sticks at the graveside.

SONGKRAN (April)

This Thai festival celebrated around 13th-15th April, involves bathing of religious icons and having a good time throwing water at each other.In Singapore this Thai New Year festival has been adopted by the Big Splash Aquatic Sports Complex located at East Coast Park.

BIRTHDAY OF THE THIRD PRINCE (April)

Nezha's birthday is celebrated on the eighth and ninth of the fourth moon. This child deity, depicted to be bearing a magic bracelet and sword with wind and fire wheels at his feet, has a temple dedicated to him near the junction of Clarke street and North Boat Quay.

Legend recounts that, before he was born, Nezha's mother had a premonition that she would bear the son of a unicorn. The third prince grew to be 6 ft. tall at the age of seven itself. It is believed that he accidently killed the Dragon King's son, and in order to save his parents from the wrath of the king, he gave himself up to him, and stripped his flesh to bone in penitence. However, the Dragon King recreated him from the leaves of the lotus and the stalks of the water lily, taught him martial arts and equipped him with the wheels of wind and fire.

RAMADAN (April)

The fasting month of Ramadan is also the feasting month. Muslims abstain from food and drink between dawn and dusk throughout the month. Stalls are set up near mosques around Bussorah street near the Sultan Mosque, to sell cooked food for breaking of the fast. These provide an excellent opportunity to try out Malay delicacies. Communal meals of rice porridge called bubur kambul are also offered free at the mosques. This period culminates in theHari Raya.

INDEPENDANCE DAY (12th June)

A national holiday, displaying age old military celebrated with military equipment and regalia, parades and processions.

FEAST OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA (24th June)

In San Juan, Manila, the deeds of the Baptist St John are re-enacted. Water is thrown about at each other and even at passing traffic. The focus of attention on this day is a Suckling Pig Parade.

PAGODASAWAWA (1st Sunday in July)

A river procession carrying the Holy Cross of Wawa in the pagoda boat is the highlight of the festival. The boat travels from around Bocaue, 30 km north of Manila.

PATEROS RIVER FIESTA (29th July)

Pateros, a suburb of Manila, is a centre of duck breeding. The fiesta is in memory of the killing of a legendry crocodile that threatened the existence of the balut (duck) suppliers.

MASSKARA FESTIVAL (19th October)

The largest of the Negro festivals, it is marked by street dances masquarades etc.

UNDAS (ALL SAINT'S DAY) (1st November)

Families get together at the cemetary, offering prayers, candles, flowers and incense
sticks for the peace of their ancestors. It is a national holiday.

BONIFACIO DAY (30th November)

A national holiday in tribute to Filipino war heroes, more specifically Andres Bonifacio, who headed the Katipunam revolutionary movement against the Spanish.

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (8th December)

The whole day long of feasting culminates in a boat procession held at night on the waters of Malabon, northwest of Metro Manila.

SIMBANG GABI (16th-25th December)

Come November, the singing of Christmas carols, commences all over the country, however, officially the Christmas season begins on 16th December. Filipinos go to night masses called simbang gabi, as per traditions.

CHRISTMAS (25th December)

Awaited with great excitement by Christians all over the world, Christmas is more of a family scene festival here. There are elaborate family reunion, dinners and exchanging of gifts.

HOLY INNOCENTS' DAY (28th December)

Some what similar to the April Fool's Day in the west, the Filipinos try to pull a trick on one another on this day.

RIZAL DAY (30th December)

It is a national holiday marked with street parades in honour of Dr Jose Rizal, the national hero, who on this day in 1896 was executed by the Spaniards. National flags are lowered to half mast on this day, as a mark of respect.