Growing up, Holy Week means spending leisurely hours with my cousins in our province in Bulacan. That didn’t change until I was about to get married, so to say that it is ingrained in my being is an understatement. So, I want the same for my kids, but may be just a part of what I experienced since our house there isn’t well-kept anymore. Add to that the other activities my husband’s side of the family does as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want my kids to have a sense of tradition, something to look forward when this time of the year comes.
Holy Wednesday
We traveled to Bulacan to witness the procession. I remember joining before when I was little because we had an heirloom Maria Salome statue. This year, my Tita’s family had a new one; the part where Jesus was being put on the cross. These statues are considered gems in our province and the caretakers go a long way to have new gowns made, flowers assembled and to keep the ivory faces pristine. Z and Y were mesmerized by what they saw!
Maundy Thursday
I tried to do the Stations of the Cross ritual with my kids, but we didn’t get to finish. After the mass wherein the Priest washed the feet of the apostles just what Jesus did during the Last Supper (the kids were sleeping!), we went on to visit 7 churches as part of Visita Iglesia. When I was little, we would go all the way to Nueva Ecija to see old churches. Now, we can just go around the Metro, get through the horrendous traffic and finish! This year, my in-laws decided to visit churches in the Quezon City area. I got to go down in 4 churches then Y decided that it was time to sleep (again.)
Good Friday
Ever since I got together with Bry, his family always spends Good Friday to Easter Sunday in Subic. We’d rent a house at Subic Homes which accommodates my husband’s family, their helpers and their dogs. It’s such a complete riot even though we live with them already. We usually go to Subic’s famed groceries to stock up on chocolates and other PX goods! This year, my mom wanted to see the beach but to her dismay Subic Waterfront Hotel is not in front of the beach. They got a pool, though, which Z enjoyed even though he didn’t understand what the other kids were saying, haha!
Black Saturday
One thing nice about staying in Subic Homes is the ample space for bike riding and the playground! The kids enjoyed being under the sun (I can’t say the same for myself!) We also went to Ocean Adventure where we saw the Dolphin Show and Sea Lion Show. I’m still pensive about this as I don’t think using dolphins as surfboards is necessary. Nevertheless, the kids were in awe.
Easter Sunday
After attending the Easter Sunday Mass, Z joined the Easter Egg Hunt at Subic Homes. I was kinda disappointed because the parents were the ones scrambling for the eggs when the instructions were that only children should be the ones hunting. I mean, it’s just candies! I was so happy that Z was ecstatic finding two eggs! Then he participated in the pinata and pabitin games. I’m glad he’s enjoying such games!
For sure, our Holy Week next year will look relatively the same. And that’s what I mean about traditions. It’s something to look forward to and add more as the years pass. 🙂
Leave a Reply