Every town in the country has a feast day it observes in honor of its patron saint. In our town of Pateros, the Patron Saint is St. Martha and her feast day is observed every second Sunday of February.
It used to be when the river running through our town was still large and navigable by boat, there was a fluvial procession where participants were showered by watchers with goodies and sometimes, even the local delicacy, "balut" for which Pateros is known for.
But times and things change. Since the river has almost dried up, the procession has become land based going around through the town's streets as participants dance to folk music.
As I watch the procession, I am amazed at the enthusiasm shown by participating community members from children to teenagers to senior citizens. I am bemusedly puzzled at what motivates them to participate in this street parade with such great gusto.
People still throw goodies at the procession participants as they dance their way along but I do not think this is the motivation for them to keep on participating in this activity. There is also an element of faith or superstition in the people's participation as some believe that by taking part in the procession, they will be blessed and they will be lucky - or their prayers will be granted. One thing for sure the town fiesta brings out a deep community spirit which is not apparent on ordinary days.
As for me, I am actually indifferent to the fiesta tradition. For me, traditions can be a good way to anchor ourselves with our past and foster community solidarity. But if these raison d'etre will be lost as a casualty of the changing times, then there may not really be any point to persist with certain traditions, especially if what is left of them are their socially pernicious legacy e.g. going into debt just to throw a feast, spending a fortune to show off etc.
Otherwise, if some traditions make people happy, then by all means, let us celebrate them.
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