Why Fiestas are Important to Filipinos

The whole year round Philippine fiestas of all kinds mark the Filipino calendar. Not only popular saints but also the most obscure ones are given a place for celebration. Why has this practice been imbedded in the Filipino culture?

To appease the gods---this was a key factor in ancient pagan worship in the Philippines. Mystical religious beliefs before the Spaniards came centered on worshipping gods believed to control certain aspects of life---livelihood, family, health, wealth, and others. To make life better, the belief said, regular ritual offerings to these gods had to be done. The gods seemed quickly angered by the smallest mistakes and vented wrath on livelihood and nature. The practice was somehow carried over into modern times so that one reason still used for Philippine fiestas is to stave off calamities and ill luck, aside from thanksgiving for good harvest, and ask lots of wishes.

A pledge. Philippine fiestas are like capital poured into investments. They have to be celebrated grandly to ensure good life ahead. The bigger money poured out for a Philippine fiesta the surer the return of investment (ROI). So, for a higher ROI a devotee should spend more to celebrate a fiesta. Smaller investments result to smaller yields.

If one wishes for more harvests from fields or the sea, or more luck in business or employment, or physical healing, or more rain, then one ought to dole out more quality meals in a fiesta celebration. If one’s really financially hard-up, then the alternative is to have active parts in the celebration---dance in the streets, help carry or pull a mounted statue, help in the fiesta preparations, or plain behave well throughout the celebration. And here’s the key to all these: the devotee has to pledge or promise to keep this going each annual Philippine fiesta.

Finally, Philippine fiestas have been “balik-bayan” incentives, or come-ons for expatriates, to visit or come back for good to the municipalities or cities celebrating them. Since pre-Hispanic times, Filipinos have been known to live in other countries. Later, they ventured to farther places like the US and Europe. Philippine fiestas lure them back to reminisce old times and be also celebrated in the community as overseas “heroes.”

Philippine fiestas are as many as there are sitios (districts) and barangays and cities and provinces in the Philippines. And they’re here to stay to keep Filipinos reaching out to the future as they stake out in the present while reminiscing the past.

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5 comments on “Why Fiestas are Important to Filipinos”

  1. Filipino traditions. Fiestas served as thanksgiving of people to their patron saints for an abundant life, good harvests and for all the blessings received. People attend the mass to praise God at first and then after that is the big food preparation in homes where everyone is invited. This has been a common attitude of Filipinos and a part of our hospitality to visitors. People spend so much and even risk their savings just to have something to serve and celebrate.

  2. Filipino traditions. Fiestas served as thanksgiving of people to their patron saints for an abundant life, good harvests and for all the blessings received. People attend the mass to praise God at first and then after that is the big food preparation in homes where everyone is invited. This has been a common attitude of Filipinos and a part of our hospitality to visitors. People spend so much and even risk their savings just to have something to serve and celebrate.

  3. This is a main reason why many Pilipinos are always in debt and will never come out of poverty. They will borrow money from loan sharks so they can have a fiesta and be in debt for months. When the next fiesta comes along they will borrow again and the cycle repeats itself over and over again. After the fiesta, they will borrow money to pay their bills. again at a high interest rate.
    What the Pilipnos need to do is celebrate fiestas but not for any little occassion.
    There is no shame in being poor and accepting it. Why pretend to be rich and get deeper and deeper in debt?

  4. Having a fiesta by borrowing money , to impress the neighbors, is a receipe for remaining poor.
    I have no problem with fiestas, if a person has the means to do so, but to borrow money, as so many poor filipinos do, is big mistake.