<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - FT nostalgic of Easter in Philippines...</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>10:38 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>31093.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Apr 4, 2010
THE EX-PAT FILES
Easter in a foreign land
<!-- by line -->By Jervina Lao
<!-- end by line -->
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I'm a Roman Catholic. For Christians, today is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, otherwise known as Easter.
Back in the Philippines, where the majority of the people are Catholics, the entire week, known as Holy Week or Lent, is a major holiday.
Most workers begin returning to their home towns on Maundy Thursday. On Good Friday, the whole country shuts down as worshippers go to church to participate in various rituals.
These can be quiet and mundane with worshippers reflecting on their sins and repenting, or observing the Stations of the Cross by praying the rosary.
Or it can be gory.
In some parts of the country, penitents cut themselves and thrash the open wounds with bamboo sticks in a procession that culminates in the re-enactment of Christ's death as one penitent, following in Christ's footsteps, is actually crucified with real nails driven into his hands and feet.
In Singapore, while the pageant and drama of such gruesome Good Friday rituals are unheard of, Good Friday itself is a public holiday and observed by many Christians.
So every year for the nine years that I've been in this country, I have observed the Good Friday ritual of visiting a church to recite the Stations of the Cross.
I've realised that in living in a country where Christians are not a majority, I, the once non-practising, apathetic, nominal Catholic, have morphed into an observant, church-going one. And I 'blame' the gory Philippine Good Friday rituals as well as the Easter bunny for this transformation.
Some years ago, I found myself defending my faith to a non-Christian colleague who, after watching TV footage of Filipino worshippers flagellating themselves during Good Friday, turned to me and asked how Christians can believe that a man actually died on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday.
'How can you believe something so fantastic and illogical?' he asked. My answer? 'That's why it's called faith,' I said. All religions require it, I informed him.
No Buddhist would question that Gautama Buddha reached nirvana while meditating under a banyan tree. No Jew would question that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. No Muslim would doubt that the Angel Gabriel visited Prophet Muhammad and revealed the Quran to him. The same is therefore true of Christians.
Easter is an odd holiday. It's not as straightforward as Christmas. Most people associate Christmas with a fat guy in a red suit, a gaudy tree, cheesy songs, endless parties and gifts. Most people, even if they aren't Christian, know that it's essentially a birthday celebration.
Easter, however, is more complicated. Most people associate Easter with rabbits, eggs and chocolate. But it's originally a funeral and is therefore a sombre occasion to reflect on life and death.
I have, on several occasions, found myself explaining to non-Christian friends here what Easter is all about and sounding like a wet blanket in the process.
A few years ago, a non-Christian mother in my elder son's playgroup invited my two sons and me to an Easter party on Good Friday.
I found myself objecting to the date and explaining to her why Easter parties aren't supposed to be done on any other day except Sunday. Needless to say, we never got another Easter party invitation from her.
Then, my elder son's former kindergarten sent me a note saying the school would be conducting an Easter party for the children on Thursday, the last day of class for the week right before the Good Friday break.
I remember sending them an e-mail protesting against the inappropriateness of the timing of the celebration. To the school administrators' credit, they changed the day of the party to the week after Easter.
For several years now, including today, I've organised and attended Easter Sunday parties, something I had never done when I lived in Manila.
As I bring out the Easter bunny, decorate the eggs and enjoy the chocolate, I'm reminded that Easter Sunday is really a celebration of the triumph of life over death.
Sometimes, it takes living in a foreign land to remind us of the things that are essential and precious, and to stop taking them for granted.
The writer, who was born in the Philippines, is a sub-editor at The Straits Times
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THE EX-PAT FILES
Easter in a foreign land
<!-- by line -->By Jervina Lao
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I'm a Roman Catholic. For Christians, today is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, otherwise known as Easter.
Back in the Philippines, where the majority of the people are Catholics, the entire week, known as Holy Week or Lent, is a major holiday.
Most workers begin returning to their home towns on Maundy Thursday. On Good Friday, the whole country shuts down as worshippers go to church to participate in various rituals.
These can be quiet and mundane with worshippers reflecting on their sins and repenting, or observing the Stations of the Cross by praying the rosary.
Or it can be gory.
In some parts of the country, penitents cut themselves and thrash the open wounds with bamboo sticks in a procession that culminates in the re-enactment of Christ's death as one penitent, following in Christ's footsteps, is actually crucified with real nails driven into his hands and feet.
In Singapore, while the pageant and drama of such gruesome Good Friday rituals are unheard of, Good Friday itself is a public holiday and observed by many Christians.
So every year for the nine years that I've been in this country, I have observed the Good Friday ritual of visiting a church to recite the Stations of the Cross.
I've realised that in living in a country where Christians are not a majority, I, the once non-practising, apathetic, nominal Catholic, have morphed into an observant, church-going one. And I 'blame' the gory Philippine Good Friday rituals as well as the Easter bunny for this transformation.
Some years ago, I found myself defending my faith to a non-Christian colleague who, after watching TV footage of Filipino worshippers flagellating themselves during Good Friday, turned to me and asked how Christians can believe that a man actually died on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday.
'How can you believe something so fantastic and illogical?' he asked. My answer? 'That's why it's called faith,' I said. All religions require it, I informed him.
No Buddhist would question that Gautama Buddha reached nirvana while meditating under a banyan tree. No Jew would question that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. No Muslim would doubt that the Angel Gabriel visited Prophet Muhammad and revealed the Quran to him. The same is therefore true of Christians.
Easter is an odd holiday. It's not as straightforward as Christmas. Most people associate Christmas with a fat guy in a red suit, a gaudy tree, cheesy songs, endless parties and gifts. Most people, even if they aren't Christian, know that it's essentially a birthday celebration.
Easter, however, is more complicated. Most people associate Easter with rabbits, eggs and chocolate. But it's originally a funeral and is therefore a sombre occasion to reflect on life and death.
I have, on several occasions, found myself explaining to non-Christian friends here what Easter is all about and sounding like a wet blanket in the process.
A few years ago, a non-Christian mother in my elder son's playgroup invited my two sons and me to an Easter party on Good Friday.
I found myself objecting to the date and explaining to her why Easter parties aren't supposed to be done on any other day except Sunday. Needless to say, we never got another Easter party invitation from her.
Then, my elder son's former kindergarten sent me a note saying the school would be conducting an Easter party for the children on Thursday, the last day of class for the week right before the Good Friday break.
I remember sending them an e-mail protesting against the inappropriateness of the timing of the celebration. To the school administrators' credit, they changed the day of the party to the week after Easter.
For several years now, including today, I've organised and attended Easter Sunday parties, something I had never done when I lived in Manila.
As I bring out the Easter bunny, decorate the eggs and enjoy the chocolate, I'm reminded that Easter Sunday is really a celebration of the triumph of life over death.
Sometimes, it takes living in a foreign land to remind us of the things that are essential and precious, and to stop taking them for granted.
The writer, who was born in the Philippines, is a sub-editor at The Straits Times
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