My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108
Every second Sunday of November the fiesta of Nuestra Senora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga is held throughout the city. It is a time where devotees cook up a feast in every household and invite friends families to celebrate the fiesta. Nuestra Senora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga is a representation of the virgin Mary also know as the Our Lady of Solitude. The celebration of the patroness of the city is felt through out the city. Heavy traffic along the main road and you would see a lot of people from outside the city pouring in.
The festivities can also be seen with the banderitas which are little flags hanging from streets and houses.
Normally I just stay at home during this time and spend most of the Sunday having a quiet lunch with the family. This time my aunt invited me to join her in one of her friend's house for the celebration. I was a bit hesitant as I didn't know the host which is kinda awkward. But she insisted that her friend asked her to bring friends or relatives with her. In the Philippines people are very hospitable and during fiesta all is welcome.
There were a lot of visitors and we were greeted right away by the host. She was an old lady and had a very welcoming smile. There is a Filipino gesture as a sign of respect for the elderly which is called Pagmamano. The is done by holding the elders back hand , bowing down and placing it on your forehead. I did this right away as a sign of respect. She gave me a smile and told us to feel at home, not feel embarrassed and pointed us to the table of food.
Now to the buffet table. Different sorts of meat dishes, fried rice, stews and deserts and being served. I just grabbed myself two meat dishes and some fried rice. I was a bit full and didn't eat much maybe all the food was a bit overwhelming for me.
After finishing my meal our host approached us and asked us to get some dessert and she insisted. I got myself some fruit salad and some Nata de Coco a sweet jelly like food made from fermented coco water. The meal was amazing and so was the desert. I love free food lol.
Our host also rented a marching band to perform during the celebration and the feast. She loves music and she said the band makes the mood more festive. The band played music from Bang Bang to Classic Music which was very entertaining.
Of course no marching band is complete without the dancing majorettes. Dancing and grooving to every song made the people stop for a moment and enjoy the performance.
Also there are fire breathers roaming around the city during fiesta which adds color to the celebration. I will be posting more about the fire breathers in my future post.
After the presentation I was amazed in this section of the house. I told my aunt "hey she has her own personal chapel". Yes indeed she had this chapel built in honor of The Archangel Saint Raphael. I also learned the our host used to own one of the largest bus lines in the city which is called..... yes you guessed it Saint Raphael.
We had our fill, enjoyed the entertainment and had a great time taking some photos but it was time for us to go. Took this photo of my aunt with her friends. My aunt in the middle beside her our lovely and very hospitable host. I'm glad I was invited to this feast as it is one total package of the celebration. Before leaving I again gave her a sign of respect with Pagmamano then she thanked us for coming. I said thank you for welcoming us and she gave us a smile.
The celebration also includes an procession at night which happens to pass by our street. They had the image of the Saint being carried by devotees in a long procession. Again I normally do not pay attention when there are processions during fiesta but I feel it is something that I should share as part of our culture even from our small city.
This is the image of the Saint which I had trouble getting a shot as there were a lot of people in the procession. If I knew it would be passing by I would have climbed up the roof to get a better view.
I am no catholic but I love and respect the culture of our country. It is one of the things that brings color and uniqueness in our country. I enjoyed sharing this part of our culture and I hope you had a good time taking this walk with me in this #beautifulsunday. Happy Fiesta Steemians and have a good evening or goodmorning where ever you are.
