In each country, there are different kinds of traditional
festivals celebrated in some designated places. What’s the role of festival
celebrations in our culture and society? Festivals are parts of each country’s
culture for they symbolize the customs, traditions, and way of living of the
people living in said areas.
One can discover the diverse personality traits of a nation’s
citizenry, their distinct way of commemorating a certain special event which
can set them apart from the others. Traditional festivals oftentimes showcase
the importance of remembering a special occasion within a locality like for
example the Feast Day of a saint wherein people pay homage or tribute to their
patron saints by lavish food preparations, festivities which include different
kinds of merriment and entertainment.
In the Philippines, being the pre-dominant Christian country in
Asia, religious festivities abound and it can be witnessed in different
provinces with some places considered as famous tourist destinations in the country.
The locals get to prepare extravagantly and welcome people from both distant
and nearby areas as their visitors.
The feasts here in our country originated from our Spanish
ancestors with the term “fiesta” (feast) borrowed from the Spanish language as
the Philippines was under Spanish colonial rule for hundreds of years. The
festivals we celebrate are handed down to us by our ancestors from generation
to generation and we continuously preserve these practices even these modern
times.
In a study conducted by Ros Derett of Southern Cross University,
Australia, he stated that regional festivals help foster and nourish community
resilience. His thesis connotes that festivals permit people to reflect and
determine a “sense of community and
place.” These festivals symbolize their image and identity and thus
contribute to cultural tourism. In the said regional or community celebrations,
the locals are involved in shared experiences to their advantage which offers
them both social function and signify symbolic connotations. Derret further
contends that these regional festivals celebrate the community’s social
identity, as well as its historical continuity, and cultural resiliency.
Festivities within a locality offer a common ground for creativity, custom,
heritage, and cultural practices for both the locals and their visitors.
[ELIZABETH ESGUERRA
CASTILLO]
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