Category Archives: Holidays

Pasyon

Do you still remember singing Pabasa or Pasyon, the Lenten tradition of chanting or singing the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Pabasa is usually sung by a group of elderly people during Holy Week. I’ve experienced joining Pabasa when I was young. The chanters usually use microphone and speakers so the message will be heard in the neighborhood where the Pabasa is held. The chanting sometimes is so loud you can’t hear when a metal floor flange drop on the pavement.

If you miss hearing Pabasa in your area, you can now hear them through a website dedicated to air Pasyon Audio on the Internet. Thanks to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for making this possible for old and young people who may not have heard Pasyon in a while.

Activities for the Holy Week

There are a lot of things that you can do during the Holy Week. Those who are practicing the Catholic faith observe some Lenten traditions such as church visit, station of the cross, Pabasa and similar other activities. Some observe fasting and spiritual retreat for healing and spiritual direction. I’m not familiar with retreat houses, which you can visit this Lenten season, maybe you check with your parish priest about retreat houses.

For relatives who are physically unwell to visit different churches can still observe the Lenten activities by watching Visita Iglesia and Pasyon from the links. Since its holiday next week, you can also surprise them with chocolate get well gifts.

Dreaming of Singles’ Holidays

One of the things that you have to give up when you become a mother is your social life. The late night out with your friends is replaced with all-nighters keeping watch of your newborn, the lazy lunch dates with the girls are traded for visits to the pediatrician and the last full show movie date with your beloved is swapped for Disney movies or Barney video marathons. Some would even just salvage their seriously-suffering social life with the aid of social networking online sites such as Facebook, where you can catch up with your peers at a touch of your fingertips.

Of course, you love being a mother, and having said all that, you nearly would not trade your adorable little angel to all the carefree ways of being single. Except probably when you have totally spread yourself thin and are desperately in need of a break. Yes, even mothers need to take occasional breaks too! Otherwise you will be a cranky mother much like your child when he lacked sleep or when throwing a tantrum when not given his demands immediately.

Taking a break every so often will do you a world of good, and these breaks need not be ultra expensive that it will burn a hole in your pocket. A quick trip to the spa for a much-needed pampering or a once-a-month dinner by candlelight with your man might just do the trick. It might not be as grand as the singles holidays you used to have but it’s the next best thing. Your little one might even thank you if you did.

Great Wall of China: One of my dream destinations.