Good Friday

I was born and raised to observe Easter religiously in the Philippines. It was always a solemn week beginning Palm Sunday. Every establishment back home would be closed during Holy Week and reopen the following Monday to give people time to spend Easter with their families. It was a pretty big deal. I grew-up listening to the "Pasyon" during Lenten season. There was a "Pabasa" at church for several days and it ends before 3:00 pm on Good Friday. Pabasa is the reading/chanting of the story of Christ's Passion, life, trials, death and resurrection. Readers chant the Pasyón from beginning to end without pause; this non-stop recitation is facilitated by the chanters working in shifts. We lived two houses from the church/chapel, so there was no escaping it. There was also a "Pakain" meaning to feed. It's a custom that has been passed down to families, the host of the Pabasa provides lots of food and refreshments for the chanters and church goers.

No Easter Bunnies, Easter Egg Hunts or Easter Baskets for us as kids. Instead, at a very young age we watched the "Senakulo" aka the dramatic presentation of the Passion of Christ in "action" blood, wounds, thorns and all. Everybody included in the play were in costumes and there was a man playing as Christ who walked around town carrying a cross and wearing a crown made out of thorns. There were also other devotees who joined the procession wearing a cloth mask doing their "penitensya" where they flagellate themselves. They do this as their "panata" or religious vow every year during "Kuwaresma", "Semana Santa" aka Holy Week. They cover their faces because this is their way of doing penance or as a way of giving thanks for a wish granted; and they want to do their vows anonymously. By Good Friday, the man portraying as Christ would often also be nailed on the cross and would pretend die by 3:00 pm that afternoon. I remember how as kids, older people would scare us that the water would be tinted with Christ's blood, hence we weren't supposed to take a shower on Good Fridays.

My grandma always made us go to church during Holy Week until when I was about fifteen. I remember my younger sister and I went with her to mass on Good Friday. The man who was giving the litany kept repeating himself saying "Ganitong-ganito" which means exactly like this (how Christ died on the cross) and we just exploded in laughter. He wasn't trying to be comical or anything, he just sounded so angry and he kept pointing his finger at everyone. At first we were just giggling, but he just kept saying things over and over and we just lost all control and laughed like hyenas in the middle of a solemn Good Friday mass. Our grandma took one stare at us and we left. Remembering that just brought smile to my face. Oh, I miss Easter back home.

Card Recipe

Stamp Set: Bordering on Romance (Wood 125480 Clear 125482), Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370)
Paper: Cardstocks - Basic Gray, Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper (122959) and DSP Twitterpated (125406)
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Brads in Soft Subtles (119738), Framelits Die in Labels Collection (125598), Watercolor Wonder Crayons in Soft Subtles (119802), Aqua Painters (103954), Punches in Modern Label (119849) and Word Window (119857), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), 3/8" Tafetta Ribbon in Pretty in Pink (retired), Sizzix Textured Embossing Folder in Elegant Bouquet (115964).

I had a busy day today with my youngest sister. We had lunch and then went to the mall. It's always so much fun shopping with someone. Thank you for stopping by, I am enjoying my spring break. Got to go, my wine awaits.