Thanksgiving and the Opon Fiesta

It was the perfect autumn weather. I started the day by having a stroll on the neighborhood park with my daughter Jeanne and my dog (Jake Snarky). We took some pictures on the road and had a lot of fun. Later that day night we had a Thanksgiving feast but instead of turkey we have lechon (courtesy of Jojo and Cielo). I call Thanksgiving as the Annual City Fiesta of Birhen sa Regla. Both celebrations almost coincide on the same day. The Opon fiesta is always on the 21st of Nov. and the Thanksgiving this year was on the 22^nd. It makes me think on how my family back home in Opon could be having the time of their lives enjoying the festivities. The big City Parade will herald the Opon Fiesta and in contrast here in America we have the Macy’s Thanks giving parade. Although both parades are not comparable in terms of pageantry and grandeur but what counts most is the holiday cheers it brings to the people. For me both parades are of equal importance and are already part of the culture and traditions. In the USA we have the Thanksgiving Football game and in Opon they have the Coronation of Miss Lapulapu. The religious activity like Birhen sa Regla Novena is also celebrated here by our Rosary.

The house was full pack with visitors eagerly wanting to gobble up the mouth watering crunchy lechon. Each family is bringing a dish or two so we had our stomachs full. The Thanks giving feast consist of the following lechon, fruit salad, inatayan, macaroni salad, cassava cake, pancit, banana fritters, refrigerator cake, fish kinilaw and tinolang isda. The party winded up till 2:00am. People still try to grab a few hours of sleep when they arrived home for them to gain enough strength for the Black Friday Sale. The Black Friday Sale is the biggest event of the retail industry. Big discounts and a lot of early bird specials for the loyal shoppers. I did try it once to have a feel of this madness but I will never again lineup in the store as early as 4:00am just to buy an item on sale. But if you really want to grab one it is worth it, where can you find a laptop/notebook computer sold for 299dlrs only!!!.

We woke up late, almost lunchtime. The Black Friday sale is already out of the question but we did checkout a few stores late that afternoon. The family decided to watch videos and play Wii games that Friday and just stayed at home instead of going out for a movie.

The Thanks Giving / Open Fiesta celebration was a very good one. I sure did cheat a lot on my diet but it was worth it. Hopefully we can spend Thanksgiving next year in Opon and try to celebrate it the American way.

A visit from the Queen

The immaculate image of Our Lady of Fatima has been in our home since October. The image has been moving around from one house to another for the Family Rosary Crusade. The last home it visited was of the Aguila’s and it has been in my home since October.

The family seldom prays the rosary but when Mama Mary came we have been praying it everyday. Even if we are away for out of town trips we always make sure that we pray the rosary wherever we are and think about Mama Mary at home. The rosary pledge is part of the commitment that each family must make before accepting the image at home. My children were initially complaining about the daily rosary routine. Specially Jeter who always ask questions why do we have to do it everyday???. Jeanne and Jay jay have been the most understanding. So far it has been a wonderful experience, there is nothing compared to a family praying together and hear out each others personal prayers and intentions. Jayjay always pray for the polar bears, Jeter for his grades, Jeanne for world peace, Myrna for the families at home and Me … thanksgiving for all the blessing that we have receive. I am so grateful to have the Virigin Mary staying with us. It has not only help my children to pray the rosary but it has taught me the value of praying together as a family everyday.

When the time comes for Mother Mary to move on to another home I will surely missed the children singing Ave.. Ave… Ave.. Maria.

Kalag-Kalag in my Mind

Trick or treat…give me something good to eat… It is a fun day for children and the young at heart. This is the only day that I allow my kids to gorge on candy, taffy, chocolates, candy corn and many more. I use to spend a lot of time and money on this event. This year only my dog went out trick-or-treating. My son decided that he is already too old for this stuff and ask me not to spend a single cent on costumes. I joke them that I would dress up as Nacho Libre and 3 of them as the children of Hogwarts. I got a very big NOOOO. I was wondering what ever happened to the playful childhood innocence??? My kids decided to do away with it… but I haven’t. Probably midlife crisis? It would have been fun to look at Myrna as the trampy fireman, trampy police or a trampy waitress. Hehehe nice to be creative...I don’t think she would even think of being trampy not even in Halloween !!!.

In Cebu we celebrate it as kalag-kalag. We do have Halloween parties on the street but no trick-or-treating. Probably the affluent neighborhoods in Cebu celebrate it western style but for me kalag-kalag is the best way to celebrate it. There is nothing compared to the thousands of people in the cemetery and the brilliant lights and heat generated from the burning candles. Biko, budbud and other native delicacies would surely make this day to look forward to. I remember that Mother would always ask me to go to the public market to buy coconuts for making the sweet biko. Our candles are bought all the way from the Chinese stores in Opon or Carbon. We need to visit the tombs of all of our dead relatives and it is like going to maze going from one place to another. With thousands of people in the cemetery there is a big chance that you will get lost.

I was thinking all of this stuff while trick-or-treating with Jake (my dog). I wonder if my children would experience the fun that I use to have in the Philippines. Maybe someday they will and I hope they will think of it as fun and think of Halloween in a more religious and reflective way.