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Semana Santa 06: Black Saturday and Easter Sunday

May 16th, 2006 | 2 Comments

Black Saturday and Lucban was just like another ordinary day that I went to Tayabas to do some church photography there, after, of course, taking photos of the church in Lucban. After visiting the three churches (1 major, two minor but more of a chapel or visita) and the old Catholic cemetery where I just found one of the beautiful camposanto chapels in the archipelago (rivals the ruins in Lucban).

Left, I passed by St. Michael Basilica and saw people already preparing the platform for the Easter Sunday procession that will follow the Black Saturday night mass. It was just a simple structure located infront of the convento decorated with prepared coconut fronds, much like those used during the domingo de ramos. A boy and some girls were also practicing for the midnight procession, singing the salve regina.

Right, back in Lucban, I immediately went to the site where the traditional salubong will be held. It was just infront of the mayor’s house who also owns the image of the Virgin.

Left, 2100H and the townspeople, were already gathered around the church plaza for the blessing of fire. In the middle a bonfire was lit. the priest came, and the ritual, including the lighting of the paschal candle started. Right, after the blessing, the faithful then proceeded to the church. When the mass started (its quite a long mass that took 3 hours to finish!) all the lights were put off. Then one by one, the light from the paschal candle was shared, lighting all the candles that the churchgoers held. Its really just beautiful as the whole church had a yellow-reddish glow emanating from hundreds of candles lit.

Two of the images, the mater dolorosa, left, and the risen Christ, right, is paraded around the town’s streets for the easter procession. I’ve read that what is held is the apocryphal meeting of the grieving virgin where angels took the black veil for her to rejoice and meet her risen son. In previous years, I was told, and I think is still done in some areas, a procession of the mater dolorosa image is done during Black Saturday night just before the salubong. Both images starts together at the Lucban church but follows different route and meets at the mayor’s residence where the salubong will be held.

Left, the actual salubong (meet) wherein the girls clad as angels sang the salve regina while tossing flowers and one then takes the black veil off the image. After the meeting, the two carrozas are then brought to the church. I’ve observed that in Lucban and Tayabas, and probably in the surrounding areas or even in the greater part of Luzon, the procession is held just after the Black Saturday mass that usually timed to end at midnight. In my hometown, the sugat, the Cebuano term for the salubong is done early dawn, usually around 0400H. In Minglanilla, a southern town in Cebu adjacent to Talisay City, it is famed for this event as lots of angels are hoisted up an arch and hang above the carroza while one then descends to the mater dolorosa image to get the veil.

Right, the image of the Santo Senor Sepulcro, now dressed in another set of clothes (done early Saturday morning) now lie in its glass casing inside the Ranola house.

Just right after the procession and you can already see that young people are already gathered in different portions of the streets of the town and ready to toss that water bomb! It has been a tradition in Lucban that after the salubong, people throw water at each other. This was so since in the olden times, the old people forbid the Lucbanons to take a bath by noon of Good Friday until Easter Sunday. I was told that they scare children that they will turn to stone if they do take a bath. So during the procession, just before the actual carrozas arrive, it was not surprising to see some people holding umbrellas and an impassioned plea from a woman holding the microphone, asked the people not to start throwing water while the procession is still ongoing. In other parts of the town, tossing water already started.

The whole day Sunday and Lucban comes alive. Every street is just wet and strewn plastic litter the streets. In the neighborhoods, people are tossing pails of water to passersby, directing water guns and some men gather around wooden tables to drink and just have fun. Fortunate for me that when I took to the streets, I was spared but not after downing three glasses of beer offered to me

By 0900H I was already on my way back to Makati.

Series 31: Semana Santa 06
Semana Santa 06: Santo Señor Sepulcro
Semana Santa 06: Dressing the Santo Señor Sepulcro
Semana Santa 06: Domingo de Ramos, 1
Semana Santa 06: Domingo de Ramos, 2 and Pabasa
Semana Santa 06: Via Crucis
Semana Santa 06: Senakulo
Semana Santa 06: Flagellants
Semana Santa 06: Paete and Pakil processions
Semana Santa 06: Maundy Thursday
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 1
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 2 - procession preparations
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 3 - the procession
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 4 - Procession of the Senor

Tags: heritage, quezon, semana santa

Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 4 - Procession of the Senor

May 15th, 2006 | 1 Comment

The afternoon procession of Good Friday, is the most significant part of the lenten observance that is the Holy Week and the central focus is the Santo Intiero, or as in the case of Lucban, the Santo Senor Sepulcro, now encased in a glass “coffin” is pulled and pushed along the streets of the town. What struck me with this activity is the similirity with the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo.

Its mainly the men’s domain when the final carroza, the image of the Senor inside a glass “coffin” moves. Men in barefoot and whiteshirts shirts pull the rope that is tied to the carriage starting from the house of the family hosting the image. It is then carried to the church and from there, follow the route of the procession. The feeling is like that of Quiapo, but on a smaller scale and contrasting with the shirt wherein in that place, they’re wearing maroon shirts.

Left, before the main procession, men already gather near the house where the Senor is but a good number also gather around small round tables drinking a few glass or two before joining the procession that’s why its no surprise that one can see drunk men joining in the cortege. In the previous years when the carriage is still borne on the shoulders of men (now it has wheels, just like that of the Black Nazarene) the carriage moves left, right, forward and back along the route.

Right, once the image enters the church, these young men use bamboo clappers, usually former sacristans and converges on the choir, since the bells and anything metallic are now muted. Its a very beautiful sound and rythm that emanates from these wooden devices and coupled with the frenzy going on under them and one of the spectacular sound and scenery, a very exciting if not stunning image of faith unfolds before ones eyes!

Left, the bamboo clappers up close. A pole is split and these rectangular holes are made.

Right, the cortege of the dead Christ as it moves out of the church to the procession route. Just like the Black Nazarene, handkerchieves and shirts are thrown in to the image where a man, standing, wipes it on the glass and throws it back.

Left, because of the lenght and slowness of the procession, the cortege of the Senor only arrives 2 - 3 hours after it leaves the church. But again, once back inside and the frenzy to touch the carriage is magnified.

Right, after past an hour when the seeming chaos dies down and all men seem to have touched the carriage and calms down due to exhaustion, the women, on the other hand, starts to circle the image waiting for the signal from the caretaker, Jayson Maceo’s father, says that the carriage should now be brought back to the house. Once it is given and the excitement again builds. Women laugh and sometimes shriek when the carriage seem to go out of its way. But then, compared with the men’s procession, its tamer and more subdued.

Left, once it reaches the house and the women will take the image from the glass container and slowly bring it, overhead, inside the house where it is again laid. People start to mill around and kiss and touch the image. The women who were left outside will now await the distribution of the flowers and bouquets that decorate the carriage.

Right, a piece of the Senor’s rope that is tied around its waist distributed by Jayson. Strongly perfumed in some flower essential oils, devotees would want to have this one which many will use as a talisman, a lucky charm or to be placed in their home altars. Me, while not really believing, carry this one inside my wallet

Tags: heritage, quezon, semana santa

Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 3 - the Procession

May 12th, 2006 | No Comments

Good Friday procession in Lucban seems festive despite the somewhat seriousness of the occasion. Never have I imagined that there are really this many Lucbanons who come together in the church to attend the Lenten activities. There were 18 carrozas and andas that participated this year with a mixture of new and antique images. It should be noted that, as told to me, a few years ago, the images were more than 18. Also, most antique images got destroyed during WWII when the Americans bombarded the church where the parishioners placed their imahens thinking that it would be spared. Save for a few images and pieces of heads and hands like that of the Senor and San Juan, to name a few, the rest went up in smoke. Because of the length and the number of participants, just when the Santo Senor Sepulcro came out of the church that, after a few minutes, the starting image of the procession came.

Left, the image of the Pacencia during the procession as it slowly winds its way through the narrow streets of Lucban. The route is not always regular as it is changed from time to time. Right, The image of the Sta. Veronica approaching the church.

Left, the image of the Pieta, after the procession. Right, a girl getting the flowers decorating the andas of the Santa Marta of which my friend, Jayson Maceo takes care of. The flowers are considered blessed by the faithful and thus special.

Left, one of the carroza bearing the image of the “Ang Pananalangin” (an image of the praying Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, another antique image dressed in equally antique vestments still is lighted with candles. Two carrozas had this one while the rest used electric bulbs with the generator trailing behind. Right, After the Senor left the church for the procession, those who were left behind the church formed lines to kiss, touch and venerate the wooden cross placed at the altar. The sacristan frequently wipes the wood with cloth wet with alcohol and sometimes with aromatic oils.

Left, people lining up to touch the cross at the altar. Right, after Jayson Maceo’s Santa Marta was delivered back to their house, snacks of pansit (noodle dish), lumpia (spring rolls) and buns was served to the delight of those carrying the andas. And me too

Tags: heritage, quezon, semana santa

Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 2 - procession preparations

May 11th, 2006 | No Comments

Lucban, Quezon.

Good Friday morning (and even the previous day, Maundy Thursday) and families owning the images for the traditional Good Friday (previous year, also Holy Wednesday –> it was just declared by the parish priest that procession be limited to Good Friday) procession are busy sprucing up the carrozas (carriages> or andas (the platform for the image that is borne on the shoulders). New clothes (or newly washed) is donned on the various images. Century old vestments are taken out of its keeping place, flowers are ordered, the carrozas/andas, especially those antique ones with silver metalworks are cleaned and polished. Traditionally, the families farm hands come over during this time to help in the preparations.

Two things: First, its now common place to see fresh flowers decorated on the carrozas. A few years ago, when times were a bit hard, plastic flowers were used. This was to keep the costs low since the procession was usually Holy Wednesday and Good Friday. And for those keeping the image of the Mater Dolorosa, the procession is three times, including the Easter morning procession of the salubong. Second, traditionally, the old rich families who owns the antique images usually assign a hacienda (vast farm lands) to the image’s name. The purpose of this one is that any income from the harvest will be used to help defray the costs for the image’s procession. Just imagine that the family will have to pay for the upkeep, new clothes, flowers, maintenance of the carrozas, and food for the farmhands who will help in the preparations as well as provide food and honorarium to those who will stay and pray for the vigil. This is also one of the causes of rifts in the family or clan since it usually involves great amounts of money and there are always convenient reasons to say that an expense was made for this and that.
Between 1500H and the procession time, usually 1700H, one by one, the images are drawn and pulled to the church. The andas is borne on the shoulders of the men who will carry it to the church and take their assigned place. The faithful, usually garbed in their Sunday’s best with usually a rosary and a candle at hand now gather near their favorite carroza.

In most provincial towns and Lucban is no exception, this is also an opportunity for families to show off. People will definitely compare who has the grandest carrozas. The most opulent image’s vestment. The most expensive bouquet of flowers spent and who’s people are well uniformed (those carrying the andas or pulling/pushing the carrozas are sometimes in uniform).

Men doing the finishing touches on the image of the Mater Dolorosa (left) and the Black Nazarene (right). This is also a family affair that involves the parents, children, grand parents as well as relatives and neighbors.

Left, the image of the Tres caidas (Third Fall) at the side street being decorated. Right, the Santo Senor Sepulcro now loaded to its carroza where in a few hours, it will be the focus of everyone’s attention as it slowly passes the narrow streets of Lucban.

Left, a cart holding the generator follows the carroza/andas. When darkness falls, the bulbs are lighted. In Lucban, there are still carrozas, two infact, that still uses candles for the light. Enclosed in glass bulbs. Just beautiful. Right, the image of the Mater Dolorosa being carried to position before the procession. Note the wooden stick being carried by the man at far right. When the andas is not moving, these stick, together with 3 other pieces is placed under the horizontal wood to prop it up.

Carrozas and andas in position before the procession. In some towns, the images can be as few as five to as many as a hundred. In Lucban, there were 18 images on procession.

Tags: heritage, quezon, semana santa

Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 1

May 10th, 2006 | No Comments

Early Good Friday in Lucban, Quezon and I was already at the church looking for something to photograph. While inside, a group of men carrying a body wrapped in brown cloth came in. At first I thought it was a dead man as the arms were moving, bouncing up and down as the men brisk walked. Then I realized that iIts the image of the crucified Christ sans the cross! This was one of those unexpected moments. I didn’t anticipate this but luckily, I was at the right place at the right time.

After laying the image on top of the altar, they came out and moments later, they were now carrying the cross. When the reached infront of the altar, they then setup the cross, took the image and placed it carefully. The hands and feet were slowly put into place with the “nails” until it was in position. After this was done, the cross, now with the image, was borne and raised up and secured.

1500H, coinciding the time that Christ was said to have died, the same men, now dressed in white robes came forward while the faithful were already in the church. Slowly, the marched to the altar and slowly came up to the cross. They then patiently took the “nails” and slowly took down the image, placed it on a white cloth, wrapped it and then took the image to the sacristy. They then went out, came up to the cross, unmounted it and then carried it to the back of the church.

The image of the Christ, this one with movable arms is carried inside the church and placed on the altar. The men carrying the image then went back and carried the cross.