Panuluyan or Panunuluyan (Tagalog for "asking for lodgings") is a Philippine Christmas dramatic ritual narrating through song the Holy Family's search for a place to stay in Bethlehem for Jesus Christ's birth.
The panunuluyan originated from the Mexican nine-day Christmas ritual called posadas. The only difference between the two is that the panunuluyan only takes place over one night. Mexican sailors from the galleons during Spanish colonization probably brought the custom to Tagalog and Bicol towns.
The panunuluyan is held on Christmas Eve. The procession begins with the images of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary on floats being wheeled out of the church courtyard at about 7 pm. Two singers vocalize the two parts accompanied by musicians. They stop at three or four homes throughout the barrio or town, representing different inns or houses in Bethlehem. At each, they plead for lodging in song. The singers representing the house owners or innkeepers all refuse to provide lodgings and give various reasons. One sings that his house is overflowing with guests; a couple may claim to be too poor to take them in; another person gives the excuse that the real owner is out; another argues that it is unsafe to let in strangers at night. The ritual ends towards midnight, at the church where the midnight Mass is about to begin. At the singing of the "Gloria" the nativity scene is unveiled at the altar.
In the town of Kawit, Cavite, the town commemorates this tradition by holding the annual Maytinis.
Like many other traditions, the origin of Maytinis is shrouded in mystery, no one knows exactly when or how it started. But it is commonly believed that the Maytinis cannot be less than three centuries old, since the Kawit Church itself was built around 370 years ago. The most common belief as to how the MAYTINIS begun is that it was probably started by the Spanish Priests to facilitate the natives' understanding of the Catholic Religion. Kawit, three centuries ago, could very well be a preliterate society made up of simple folk who can only deal with practical things. Thus, there was a great need for presenting the religious teachings and constructs by the use of what is visible, and the festival called MAYTINIS answered this need.
The MAYTINIS is essentially a portrayal of the history of mankind's salvation, from the Old to the New Testaments. A procession is held in which various Biblical scenes and characters are portrayed by means of picturesque floats, played for by characters selected from the various barangays of Kawit.
The responsibility of organizing the annual MAYTINIS celebration rests on the shoulders of the Confradia de Sagrada Familia in cooperation and coordination with the Pastoral Council.
The Confradia choose the "AMA" (Hermano Mayor) and the "INA" (Hermana Mayora) for the year who acts as the principal sponsors of the "MAYTINIS" festival.
Source:
1. Panunuluyan
2. Maytinis
3. MAYTINIS - Kawit Traditional Cultural Event
The panunuluyan originated from the Mexican nine-day Christmas ritual called posadas. The only difference between the two is that the panunuluyan only takes place over one night. Mexican sailors from the galleons during Spanish colonization probably brought the custom to Tagalog and Bicol towns.
The panunuluyan is held on Christmas Eve. The procession begins with the images of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary on floats being wheeled out of the church courtyard at about 7 pm. Two singers vocalize the two parts accompanied by musicians. They stop at three or four homes throughout the barrio or town, representing different inns or houses in Bethlehem. At each, they plead for lodging in song. The singers representing the house owners or innkeepers all refuse to provide lodgings and give various reasons. One sings that his house is overflowing with guests; a couple may claim to be too poor to take them in; another person gives the excuse that the real owner is out; another argues that it is unsafe to let in strangers at night. The ritual ends towards midnight, at the church where the midnight Mass is about to begin. At the singing of the "Gloria" the nativity scene is unveiled at the altar.
In the town of Kawit, Cavite, the town commemorates this tradition by holding the annual Maytinis.
Like many other traditions, the origin of Maytinis is shrouded in mystery, no one knows exactly when or how it started. But it is commonly believed that the Maytinis cannot be less than three centuries old, since the Kawit Church itself was built around 370 years ago. The most common belief as to how the MAYTINIS begun is that it was probably started by the Spanish Priests to facilitate the natives' understanding of the Catholic Religion. Kawit, three centuries ago, could very well be a preliterate society made up of simple folk who can only deal with practical things. Thus, there was a great need for presenting the religious teachings and constructs by the use of what is visible, and the festival called MAYTINIS answered this need.
The MAYTINIS is essentially a portrayal of the history of mankind's salvation, from the Old to the New Testaments. A procession is held in which various Biblical scenes and characters are portrayed by means of picturesque floats, played for by characters selected from the various barangays of Kawit.The responsibility of organizing the annual MAYTINIS celebration rests on the shoulders of the Confradia de Sagrada Familia in cooperation and coordination with the Pastoral Council.
The Confradia choose the "AMA" (Hermano Mayor) and the "INA" (Hermana Mayora) for the year who acts as the principal sponsors of the "MAYTINIS" festival.Source:
1. Panunuluyan
2. Maytinis
3. MAYTINIS - Kawit Traditional Cultural Event
No comments:
Post a Comment