December 8, 2008

Immaculate

December 8 is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Many of the private schools in the Philippines are run by Catholic religious congregations, and since this day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics, these schools will all be closed. The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the Ateneo de Manila and the annual grand alumni homecoming has traditionally been held on the Saturday closest to her feast day, rather than the school's foundation day. The celebration always begins with a Mass, held at the Church of the Gesù since it opened in 2002. This is followed by a procession to the high school covered courts, complete with candles, a recitation of the rosary, and an icon of Mary on a carroza (float) pulled by the men.

Mary, Immaculate Conception on a carroza

I love the spray of flowers placed on the carroza: all white anthurium, lilies, chrysanthemums and baby's breath.

white flowers decorating a carroza


There’s a photo in each post, but this is not just a photo blog.
The descriptions are perfect for learning more about Filipino culture and life in Manila.


This is what Liz wrote about my blog when she added My Manila to the Blogs of the World section of Pocket Cultures. I think it's one of the best things anyone can ever say about what I'm trying to do here and I really appreciate both the write-up and the link. Check out Pocket Cultures—the blog was set up just last year by a group of friends from Europe and North Africa who share the same curiosity about different world cultures, with a special emphasis on the practical, day-to-day lifestyles of its peoples.

Pocket Cultures

22 comments:

escape said...

one special day for us catholics.

it's good to know that more and more means of communicating and sharing of culture is happening today thru blogs.

HZDP said...

Hilda,
Is Mania a catholic city ?
What about all the phillippines, I'm a little curious about the religion status of your place. :)

Barbara said...

The statue and flowers are lovely.

Olivier said...

la statue est très belle, un vrai ange.
the statue is very nice, a true angel.

angela said...

Looks like you've changed something, Hilda. Photo size maybe.
The colours on the statue are amazingly clear. Lovely:))

NYD said...

It's good to see that there is a place where Christmas is still a religious event and not a commercial one.

lunarossa said...

Hi Hilda, Both the statue and the flower display are magnificent. I totally agree with Liz, reading your blog I learn something new every day! Thankyou, Hilda. The Immaculate is one of the most important religious celebrations in Italy as well. Hope you'll have a nice day. Ciao. Antonella

Unknown said...

Portugal is also a catholic country, so today is a holiday here.

Jane Hards Photography said...

A beautiful seren post both the statue and that wonderful bouquet.

Layrayski said...

very nice post, Hilda.

Hope said...

This is a very nice post and the photos are beautiful! Congratulations on the inclusion on Pocket Cultures!! That's a great honor!

marley said...

That is a really lovely flower arrangement. I love the anthuriums.

That was a lovely thing that Liz wrote, its very true :)

Bergson said...

beautiful statue and the white flowers

Laurie Allee said...

That's great about Pocket Cultures, Hilda! I agree with the reviewer -- this is way more than a photo blog.

Lovely images today. I did not know of this holiday.

Ken Mac said...

beautiful flowers and a beautiful shade of blue in her cloak!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the inclusion in Pocket Cultures. What a great early christmas present for you! Well done!!

MurciaDailyPhoto said...

This day is a national feast at Spain.

Carraol said...

Beautiful colors and great flowers. Congratulations for your link in Pocket Cultures! Cheers from MC.

Saretta said...

L'immacolata is a national holiday in Italy, too. I share your outlook on sharing the daily life of your city/culture through my blog. I'll have to check out Pocket Cultures...

Hilda said...

Zoe:
Yes, the Philippines is mostly a Catholic country. We were a Spanish colony for 300 years after all. The southern-most of the largest islands, Mindanao, is mostly Muslim, however. The region is mountainous and they were never conquered by the Spaniards.

Angela:
Thank you! I increased the resolution of the images I upload, but more than that, I also discovered that the 'sharpen edges' filter produces sharper images than 'unsharp mask.'

Saretta:
They're looking for writers! :)

gogouci said...

I agree. Beautiful flower arrangement captured in a beautiful photo.

Sarah Paul said...

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