Ever since I was young, one of the annual events that my family participates in is the Good Friday prusisyon. After three p.m., the designated time that Christ was supposed to have died, a few hours will be allowed to pass for the people to "kiss the image" of Christ on the cross. Then the long, elaborate procession will begin. Several images and icons depicting the passion and death of Christ will be paraded on the streets within the parish’s territory, each of them dressed, flowered, and lighted as extravagantly as possible. The parishioners will then follow their chosen image on foot, candles lit all the way from the church and back to the church. It’s a beautiful sight, and probably one of the most noteworthy remnants of our colonial past.
There are many things you must pay careful attention to when you participate in a prusisyon. First and most important of all is your feet - you must wear your most comfortable and trustworthy pair of shoes, preferably with something you can wear with socks on too. And make sure that all your toes are protected - there are many stray drops of hot candle wax just waiting for an unwary victim, not to mention other people’s feet eager to stomp on yours. Never wear brand spanking new shoes to a prusisyon, unless you want to go home with a brand new set of blisters and calluses, too. Second of all is your hair - if you have long hair, you’d better make sure that it’s tied back and held up in a bun. A prusisyon is not complete without someone’s hair getting burned - don’t let it be yours. Next is your hands - there are many techniques to holding a lighted candle properly which would allow you to play with the flame and the melting wax without acquiring any burn scars by the time the church is within sight again. They all depend on your individual style - some like to be showy about it, some prefer discretion. But the this is true for everyone: practice makes perfect. Or you could be a pseudo-pyromaniac and not mind the occasional burn or two or three. Lastly, watch out for the children. The combination of (little restless children who tend to break away from their adult companions and go running about) + (lighted candles) = DISASTER. If possible, do not place yourself anywhere near any children during a prusisyon. And that’s about it - your basic survival guide to Prusisyon. Of course, you must not forget to look around the scenery, notice the changes that the town has undergone in a year, greet acquaintances as you pass them by, maybe even make new friends along the way. And don’t forget to pray - it is, after all, a spiritual exercise.
Lent is over, but May is coming up. That means town fiestas aren’t far off. Prusisyons are coming to town again, not to mention Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo. So follow my basic tips and enjoy the prusisyon, and along the way find the means to enlightenment in the thousand lighted candles illuminating the streets, and to cleanse your mind and your spirit as well.
There are many things you must pay careful attention to when you participate in a prusisyon. First and most important of all is your feet - you must wear your most comfortable and trustworthy pair of shoes, preferably with something you can wear with socks on too. And make sure that all your toes are protected - there are many stray drops of hot candle wax just waiting for an unwary victim, not to mention other people’s feet eager to stomp on yours. Never wear brand spanking new shoes to a prusisyon, unless you want to go home with a brand new set of blisters and calluses, too. Second of all is your hair - if you have long hair, you’d better make sure that it’s tied back and held up in a bun. A prusisyon is not complete without someone’s hair getting burned - don’t let it be yours. Next is your hands - there are many techniques to holding a lighted candle properly which would allow you to play with the flame and the melting wax without acquiring any burn scars by the time the church is within sight again. They all depend on your individual style - some like to be showy about it, some prefer discretion. But the this is true for everyone: practice makes perfect. Or you could be a pseudo-pyromaniac and not mind the occasional burn or two or three. Lastly, watch out for the children. The combination of (little restless children who tend to break away from their adult companions and go running about) + (lighted candles) = DISASTER. If possible, do not place yourself anywhere near any children during a prusisyon. And that’s about it - your basic survival guide to Prusisyon. Of course, you must not forget to look around the scenery, notice the changes that the town has undergone in a year, greet acquaintances as you pass them by, maybe even make new friends along the way. And don’t forget to pray - it is, after all, a spiritual exercise.
Lent is over, but May is coming up. That means town fiestas aren’t far off. Prusisyons are coming to town again, not to mention Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo. So follow my basic tips and enjoy the prusisyon, and along the way find the means to enlightenment in the thousand lighted candles illuminating the streets, and to cleanse your mind and your spirit as well.
(posted elsewhere 19 Apr 2006)
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