A Special Kamahalan to Abaknons

It's Kamahalan or Holy Week once more. It's the time of the year when the entire Christian World observes one of the cornerstones of their faith - the death of Christ to save humanity.

For Abaknons, Kamahalan has always been a very important season. Even those already based outside the island would go home at this time to experience the unique way we express our devotion to God on this occasion.

People say that some changes have been brought about by the passing of generations, but the core of the activities remain the same.

In the childhood days of this writer's generation, the Abaknon Kamahalan would, on general terms, be like this:

Palm Sunday would be observed like the way it is today. The only difference is that every person makes his own palm design and nobody buys or sells them. Preparing the palms is a devotion in itself - a true labor of love.

From Holy Monday to Wednesday, people flock to church for the group reflections. The Santo Ehersisyo is a time when the faithful are gathered to discuss various facets of their faith.

And for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Church becomes the center of all community activity. It is always filled to the rafters, as people gather to hear Mass and other Holy Week features like the Seven Last Words, the washing of the Apostles' feet and the Last Supper.

From a child's perspective, Kamahalan is a period where regular entertainment is banned. At the time when the radio was the major household appliance, Kamahalan is the period when all the "dramas" focused on stories from the Bible.

No playing is allowed too. Parents caution their children that should they get hurt or wounded, such will only heal on the next Kamahalan. 

Since Holy Friday is supposed to be the time when Christ is "dead", it also is the time when the "spirits" are alive. This then is the fabled time for the adventurous to look for "anting-anting" in the hinterlands.

Since no meat is allowed during the Lenten Season, the morning of Black Saturday is the time when pig squeals dominate the air. People go to their meat dealers ("parabuno") early to get the choice parts. After that, they rush to church to catch the Stations of the Cross procession.

At night, at about 8:00 p.m., the "pagbunyag si api" is observed. This is the time too when children jump to do the "tubo-tubo", hoping to grow faster.

Easter Sunday features the dawn  ritual, Salubong which ends in the meeting of Jesus Christ and his Mother beneath a "kastilyo". It is there where an angel "flies" to get the Virgin Mary's mourning veil. That angel is usually a good singer as she will lead the singing of the "Regina Coeli". She becomes the talk of the town for the week.

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Holy Week is indeed a special time for Abaknons to express the faith they have embraced for more than four hundred years now. It is therefore hoped that the onslaught of modernity will not destroy the traditions observed through the centuries. As Abaknons rush back to the island, it is hoped that they respect the time-honored traditions and not just reduce the period to plain vacation time.

And for your other other Kamahalan thoughts, please e-mail the administrator.