january-2011

Saintly Dance
While the Quiapo festivity is ongoing,
another age-old tradition is in full swing
up north. This one boasts a somewhat
bouncier disposition. From January 6–10,
the town of Sasmuan, in the province
of Pampanga, celebrates the Kuraldal.
Part prayer and part revelry, it is for Saint
Lucy, who is said to have loved dancing.
On the eve of the feast, pilgrims from all
over arrive, and for the next fi ve days,
the brass bands let loose on the streets,
their music playing amid shouts of “Viva
Apung Lucia!” from the dancing devotees.
It’s a good bet you’ll be invited into a local
home for Pampangueño fare like tamales,
tibok-tibok and pancit palabok. On the last
day, the holy image has a fi nal procession,
the music is at its loudest, the crowd at its
merriest, and the dancing at its best.
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Dancing devotees congregate
in Sasmuan, Pampanga for the
Kuraldal.
PARTY ISLANDS
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A devotee of the Black
Nazarene wipes the image with
a handkerchief for good luck.
Downtown’s Biggest Feast
In Manila, the fi rst big fi esta is the Feast of
the Black Nazarene. On the ninth of this
month, the streets in downtown Quiapo
will be chock-full of smiling, barefoot
folks making their way to the venerable
old Quiapo Church, all the while bearing
religious statues and blaring brass bands.
There’s also a strange assortment of
fortune tellers, anting-anting (talisman)
hawkers, and vendors selling all sorts
of knick-knacks and street food to add
interest. Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno
de Quiapo is the 400-year-old, wooden
statue of the Suffering Christ. Witness the
people’s devotion to it in the translacion
— a mammoth procession .Touch the
statue for good luck in the new year,
and everyone takes this to heart. Watch
the proceedings from above (the Plaza
Miranda side of Quezon Bridge offers a
good view). The chaotic yet unusually
peaceful parade starts midday at the
Luneta and ends around midnight at the
Quiapo Church.
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