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Salibanda in Paete.

 

 

 

 

Salibanda in Paete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salibanda in Paete.

 

 

 

 

Salibanda in Paete.

Fiestas in honour of patron saints are among the most effective way of gathering people and keeping the spirit of the Christian community alive.

Of all the fiestas, that of the Sto. Niño has captured the imagination of millions of devotees all over the Philippines.

 

The propagation of the devotion to the Holy Child as boy and king was of Spanish origin. It was most avidly promoted by the reformed order of Carmelite nuns led by the enigmatic St. Teresa of Avila in the 16th century.

From La Madre, the devotion to the Christ Child caught on. Icons of the Child Jesus soon began to appear in many churches and homes in Europe and was mass-produced in Flanders (now Belgium). Eventually, the cult of the devotion to the Holy Child reached Latin America, Asia and the rest of the Christian world.

In 1517, King Charles V of Spain visited Flanders and brought home with him to Spain several Flanders-crafted icons of the Holy Child, one of which was given to the adventurer Ferdinand Magellan who took the icon with him in his voyage to the other side of the world and to Cebu. In this Malay settlement, Magellan gave the icon as gift to the wife of the Cebuano datu (chief) in 1521.

From Cebu, the devotion spread throughout the islands where Christianity was accepted as faith.

Some of the most famous festivals in honour of the Santo Nino are the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo , Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City and the Sto Nino Festival in Malolos. But many other towns and cities have their own fiestas celebrating the Sto Nino. You can see my coverage of the Sto Nino in Tondo here.

In Paete they have the Salibanda in honor of the Sto. Nino which is celebrated every third Sunday of January. 

(Source: Warren P. Angliongto)

 

Salibanda marks the end of the long Christmas season, to celebrate Christ's infancy and growth into manhood, and His baptism. It is also a festival of Paete's fishermen.

Salibanda starts near the shores of Laguna de Bay Lake then continues on as a rowdy procession-dance snaking up and down the narrow streets of Paete while participants and spectators splash water on one another. 

Legend has it that once, an image of the Santo Nino was found floating about in Laguna de Bay. Paete fishermen tried to lift it out of the water, but it was so heavy that the group of men could not load it into their boat. Then they began to chant and to rock the boat rhythmically. Miraculously, the image became light. It was brought to shore and carried in a procession all over town.

The Salibanda is an unassuming local fiesta that doesn’t attract many tourists but is a fine example of just plain fun.

 

 

Chinese New Year 2010.

 

 

Chinese New Year 2010.

 

 

 

 

Chinese New Year 2010.

Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume.

The lion costume may be operated by a single dancer, or more frequently by a pair of dancers. The single dancer springs about while energetically moving and shaking the head and operating the jaws and eyes. The pair of dancers, forming the back and fore legs of the beast, mimic the motions of a single animal as they move between platforms of varying elevations. The dance is traditionally accompanied by gongs, drums and firecrackers, representing the descent of good luck.

 

 

 

 

Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nien. Nien would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nien ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nien was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nien was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nien. From then on, Nien never came to the village again.

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese New Year 2010.

 

 

 
 

Chinese New Year 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Chinese New Year 2010.

In the dance, a team of people carry the dragon on poles. A dragon can be composed of up to 50 people. The dance team does mimic the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolise historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.