“Mahal na Araw”: Easter Traditions in the Philippines

Due  to our deeply rooted Spanish influence, Filipinos follow many traditions that celebrate Christian practices; Easter or “Mahal na Araw” being one of them. It is common to witness almost everyone participating in these holy practices as “[m]ore than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations.” The apparent Christian influence can be experienced in everyday life but especially during Easter. Filipinos have unique ways of expressing their devotion to God and Christ; some following tradition from the holy book while other practices can be described as theatrical and definitely a great portrayal of the Filipino’s version of devotion. 

The apparent Christian influence can be experienced in everyday life but especially during religious holidays. Normal Christian traditions such as attending confession, abstaining from eating meat on friday, and withholding other bad habits are practiced but what’s truly noteworthy and a great indicator the Filipinos’ version of religious devotion is our more unique religious practices during Easter. One of these unique practices being a reincarnation of Jesus’ crucifixion and focus on “Mama Mary” or Mother Mary.

Now this part of Easter tradition in the Philippines is not for the faint of heart. The reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion is not a mere play but a symbol of repentance and devotion by literally enacting the physical beatings that Jesus went through. The man who plays Jesus goes through real whippings and even as far as being nailed to an actual cross.  The idea behind this is how can one truly understand what Jesus went through without getting some taste of it. Although this might be seen as excessive, I think this goes to show how Filipinos show devotion to their saviour. 

   

On a more cheery note, the Filipinos’ devotion to “Mama Mary” is also one that I have not been able to witness anywhere else. Just as Jesus’ death and reincarnation is celebrated, so is His mother who shares His sorrow and victories. In Filipino culture, Mary is regarded as the “role model” for all women, especially mothers. The number of Filipina migrants who have sacrificed themselves for their family shows the devotion Filipinas have for their families. The admiration we have of Mama Mary extends to the praise we all share for our Filipina mothers, sisters, and aunts who sacrifice themselves to support their family. There are various statues of Mama Mary that are worshiped and paraded through the streets. Her sacrifice of her son is regarded with as much reverence as Jesus’ own sacrifice of himself because who else feels more pain than Jesus other than his own mother. 

The Filipino version of devotion differs from the Canadian version greatly in terms of how Easter is celebrated. As mentioned, Filipino traditions are closely related to Christian traditions whilst Canadians use the Easter bunny to celebrate in a more lighthearted fashion that is overall family friendly and caters to the multicultural population of the city that may not share the same religious views. When I was younger, I definitely longed for the more lighthearted version of Easter and wanted so badly to go on Easter Egg hunts and so forth–something that I did get to do coming to Canada at a young age. After much reflection however, I am proud to see how deep and strong Filipinos exercise their devotion for their beliefs and how it correlates to the importance of family. 

We are truly people of passion. There is no such thing as excess when it comes to devotion and so it is with how one chooses to show devotion whether it be for religious purposes or to someone that they love. Whether we are religious, spiritual, or agnostic and so forth, the grim reminder of death (even a great religious figure like Jesus Christ could not escape it) helps us see what is truly valuable and makes the simple things in life sweeter. This is what I have learned and continue to learn as I explore the values in the Philippines to share with our dear readers here at Woods & Crafts.

 

Have a safe and happy “Mahal na Araw!”