Fiesta Allergy

I was born in Baguio City before the Flower Festival came into existence so while the rest of the country got into periodic bouts of overeating, I practically spent 10 years of my life not knowing that there was such a thing as a fiesta. When my family left for Cebu, the Sinulog fiesta became the very first fiesta I had ever experienced. I must say that as a kid, I liked the idea of not having classes and stuffing my face full of deliciously crispy roasted pork skin. These days though, I dread the coming of the city fiesta.

Filipino fiestas are still essentially celebrated for the same original reason for which they were instituted. The concept of the fiesta was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards and each celebration was intended to commemorate the feast day of a patron saint. I wouldn’t know though if the saints themselves rejoice upon the idea of uncontrolled revelry, non-gender specific pageants and drunken fits held in their honor in modern fiestas.

Don’t get me wrong. I love fiestas. I just hate the fact that walking is the fastest mode of transportation that can get you anywhere, that your life and possessions are perpetually at risk from suspicious characters and that street company at night consists of inebriated zombies. This is probably why I almost always stay at home during fiestas unless I have the urge to punish my legs and risk my life. My current fiesta allergy is also the reason why I have my former student, MaryFGR a.k.a. artbabe to thank for the photos that will be my only source of memories for this year’s city fiesta.