Semana Santa 2015
Holy Week is one the longer weekends when I get to go home. Well, I always chose to go home because there's nothing interesting to do in the Metro because the surroundings also seem to be dead during this time. Also, I am not allowed to go places (I can always make excuses, but I just try to avoid giving my parents heartaches). So yeah, I make it a point to spend the Holy Week, or Semana Santa as we call it, in my hometown, Camalaniugan.
Why are those bottles of coke not on the fridge? Because those aren't bottles of everyone's favorite drink. That's vinegar in bottles of coke. And that's my mother at the right, looking for goodies to feed his daughter. I would've wanted to head straight home after getting off from the bus, but we had dropped by the market. Saves time, and energy, and gasoline.
And I'm home! That's an old palaspas at the window of my room. Palaspas is believed to keep bad spirits (or anything bad) away so these are being hung in different parts of the house. They are replaced by the newly-blessed palaspas from the Palm Sunday every year.
And this is this season's shot of the ricefield beside our house. Matagal pa ang anihan. Ito yung nakatamaran kong gawin, take photos of the plants from my mother's garden. I always make it a point to take photos of the flowers, and this year, ito lang nakayanan ko. :p
Another awesome stuff I get to do: witness the lunar eclipse! I never get to do this in the Metro. Heck, I rarely see stars in Metro Manila. I was so thrilled when my father called me from my room to go out and see the eclipse. My phone's the only thing I have, so, waley.
Friday mass at our parish this year was held at the garden/park at the back of the Lyceum of Camalaniugan. I heard that last year, the mass was held at the horno area. Paandar! It was cool though--literally and figuratively. Summer in Cagayan is unforgiving, so holding a mass at the church at noon is not really the best decision one can ever make. And mass-goers also got a good view of the ruins from the old church and the mighty Cagayan River. It was hitting two-birds in one stone--getting people to attend the mass, and at the same time promoting the nice spots our small town has.
This is the procession Friday afternoon, after Jesus has died. When I was younger, I used to get excited by this event, and would follow the procession, but now, I just watch it pass by from the balcony, and take charge of lighting and putting off the candles.
Was it a meaningful week? Definitely. I got to spend time with my family!
