My Journeys

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Quiapo Fiesta Then


     The feast of the Black Nazarene is one of the events that I always looked forward to during my younger days. One of the events that always kept us excited was the grand parade which featured more than 60 brass bands along with different lanterns carried at the head of each band. Being a guy, I was excited about seeing beautiful majorettes in their uniforms who displayed those long thighs and legs as they marched twirling their batons.

     Because our lolo's grocery was doing fine during those days, my family would hire a band coming from Pakil in Laguna. During the night, the band would hold a mini concert in front of our lola's house in Concepcion Aguila St. in the Quiapo district. After the concert, we would be tucked in bed and prepare to attend the mass the following morning.

     Mama would wake us up at around 4:00 in the morning and have us take a bath before dressing us up for the mass. Then off we would march to Plaza Miranda where masses are held one after the other. After attending the mass, we would return to our lola's house and have a sumptuous breakfast of different Filipino dishes. I forgot to mention that on the eve of the Quiapo Fiesta, the kitchen of my lola's house was a beehive of activity. Aunts and cousins would be seen busy cooking food for the guests who would drop by and share  with us the joys of the annual feast.

     At around 9:00 in the morning, we would hear the sound of the approaching bands. We would rush out and line up the streets as we watched the bands pass by one after the other. The parade would last for about one or two hours. Compared to the past years, there are only a handful of bands that participate in the recent celebrations of the Quiapo fiesta.

     In the afternoon, there would be the procession of the Black Nazarene. Because I was too young to help in the distribution of food and drinks to the devotees, I would watch the procession go by from the window in the second floor of my lola's house.

    Come evening, there would still be much eating and drinking. We would all go home at around 11:00 in the evening.

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