December 19th, 2005 |
Misa de Gallo, or Mass of the Rooster officially kicked off the Christmas season in the country last Friday, 16 December. For nine days, called the novena, Catholics wake up early than usual and brave the nippy cold to hear mass. Originally a practice in Mexico, it was extended to the Philippines in the 16th century not out of tradition but for practical reasons: the dawn masses were timed very early so that the farmers during those time can fit it in their schedules as during the day, they’ll be busy with farm work. While this are dawn masses, the Tagalogs call it Simbang Gabi, literally night mass.
When we were still children, we used to accompany my lola (grandmother) and mother to these masses, oftentimes, because of the cold water, would just wash our faces instead of shower. After, we would then buy puto (unground steamed sticky rice with ginger) to be dipped in sugar (my fave) or paired with sweet ripe mangoes and thick tsokolate, made from tablea, medallion shaped bitter chocolate made from pure cocoa.
Last Friday, I set my alarm clock at 0300H in time to take photos of the misa de gallo. Never mind if I had just less than three hours of sleep but I got to have material for my ongoing series at my photoblog, binary silver which already is starting.
The day before Friday, I was thinking of a church to goto for the start of the traditional misa de gallo. I was thinking of:
- the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin in Intramuros (just too far)
- San Sebastian and Malate (again, it entails two – three rides and so out of the way)
- a friend suggested Paco but its just like the churches mentioned above
Then it dawned on me, why not the Guadalupe church that I’ve always wanted to visit? I’ve read much about this old, Spanish era, church located at a hill overlooking Makati that was the Augustinian order’s main house and monastery. It was built between 1601 and 1630 under the patronage of Nuestra Senora dela Gratia but then changed to Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. And so I went. Its really a small and quaint edifice but imposing because of its elevation and wonderful architecture. The facade is bedecked with christmas lights and already, there were people inside waiting for the mass that was to start supposedly on 0400H. As the time progressed, more people came that it got full and people just stayed outside.
Compared with what we have in Talisay, Cebu, dawn mass delicacies in Luzon are usually with puto bumbong (some spell it bungbong or bungbung) and bibingka. I took these photos just at the church gate.
This strange looking contraption is a steamer for the puto bumbong. The sticky rice flour mixture is placed inside the bamboo atop a steamer. The cloth around the wood is used so that it can be handled like placing the mixture or retrieving the puto.
Bibingka sa galapong (rice cake made of sticky rice flour), another misa de gallo fare that is always found with the puto bumbong. What I do like with the rice cakes here is that it has salted red eggs and in this case, it even have ham slices.
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