This past
Sunday was the anniversary of Sr. San Sebastian Chapel located in Sapa, Bolod
at Panglao Island. What makes its annual
celebration quite remarkable is that members of the chapel contribute to a fund
to throw a feast not only for their fellow congregants but for the entire barangay
(village), including their friends and relatives from other areas as well.
To top it all
off, I was told that tradition calls for everyone to eat as much as to their
hearts’ delight. Hence, last Sunday’s
buffet included the ever popular pork humba (adobong Visaya), beef caldereta, pancit canton, pakbet, and dinuguan. Also provided were unlimited soft drinks and tuba (local wine).
When it comes to fiestas, the hospitality of Boholanos is
simply impressive. The following photos show
the various jovial scenes from this one single event.
So here goes:
The chapel is
not all that expansive; thus, at such celebratory occasions, devotees tend to
spill out in the street. And for those
who arrived late, the chapel’s grounds offer some shady spots as respite from the blazing
mid-morning sun.
A few minutes
prior to the end of the mass, the members of the Food Committee had already started
laying out some plates for the starved congregants and their guests.
And the feast
begins much to the delight of everyone!
This is an earthen
jug filled to the brim with tuba (local wine). Tuba is concocted through a process of extracting
the sap of an unopened coconut bud. It
has a stinging sweet and bittersweet taste. The tip of the bud is lopped and
the pale juice allowed to trickle into bamboo containers. A sturdy tree yields about a gallon of liquid
daily.
At this
festivity, there were some tuba in plastic containers. They were for the groups of revelers served along with a liter bottle of soft drinks as chaser. I was somewhat surprised because in the
provinces of Luzon, tuba is enjoyed as is -- without any chaser or added sweetener.
Finally, the
photo below is one of my favorites. It shows a father and his son enjoying the
sight of the never-ending cooking. You see, this is an entire day of celebration. Food
is prepared and served until the start of the evening’s procession.
* * *
Sharing with Blue Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday
*
Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and
photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local
broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for
permission first.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your blues. Church is a good gathering place.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blue Monday, Tito Eric.
Indeed, it is, Sally. It was a lot of fun :)
Deleteah, tuba, the first alcoholic drink i ever tasted as a kid.:p i remember picking up a jug of tuba my mother ordered, i tasted it along the way, and when i got home the jug was empty. ang sarap! LOL
ReplyDeletethis is the essence of a true fiesta---sharing food with everybody. i miss going to fiestas in the provinces.
I had about a half glass taste of it, Luna. And I tell you, if I didn't bring along my scooter, I probably would have more. It was pleasantly sweet.
DeleteThe fiesta season here in Bohol starts in full swing in May, though fiestas abound in various regions throughout the year. When you go to one house, you're bound to go to another two or three more until your stomach aches with all those food!
Everyone seems to have a great time.
ReplyDeleteMy blues are here and here.
Yes ... a good time was had by all!
DeleteI love going to fiestas! I never had a chance to taste the tuba though.
ReplyDeleteYogurt with mangoes
Come to Bohol and you'll experience incredible fiesta celebrations here complete with tuba :)
DeleteBohol will always have place in my heart specially to my american husband how he wish he can take home the Tarsier and be his pet he he! Happy Blue Monday!
ReplyDeleteMy Blue Monday entry: Travel Quest
Those tarsiers are truly adorable! They're so tiny,
DeleteYes, yes they are :) We wish we could take them home! I would appreciate if you could stop by and check my entry for Blue thanks! Valley of Fire
ReplyDeleteI don't think they'd make ideal pets like a dog or cat. From what I understand they love to go gallivanting at nights despite the perils.
Delete