It is 7:24 am. I am supposed to have showered and with a cup of black coffee, I should have been in the office for the daily staff meeting. But I am not.
Today is a holiday here in Manipur. It is a beautiful tribal tradition where the brothers (in the family) honor their sisters (or the women in their family). The Manipuris have realized a long long time ago the importance of women in their society. Although they maintain a patriarchal society, women are revered and respected as an equal. And the holiday starts with the sisters visiting brothers to maintain the fraternal bond and the brothers in return would give presents to the sisters.
I love this holiday. It not only commemorates the role of women in the society, but also, for my greedy reasons, allow me to sleep late (meaning at 10 PM) and wake up late (meaning at 6:30 AM). And fun because it is a Friday!
And while the streets are playing drums (as of now) and there is an unknown and unfamiliar songs in the the air, here I am on my bed typing my early morning blog. The air is festive, definitely, but the drums are not as upbeat as I expected them to be.
Anyways, I am invited later today to witness this event at a staff’s house. Of course, there will be food, so I have to prepare my stomach for real hot and spicy stuff.
I wish we have holidays like these in the Philippines. Not just the Saint’s day or something. Something solid and can identify us as a nation. Not just having festivals for the sake of festivals – one town or province copying from another town or province. Why can’t we celebrate the family? Why can’t we make it personal?
Have a grand parents appreciation day, even if your Lolo is in Jail for corruption?
Celebrate your ex-partner’s day?
Rejoice for the birth of your 14th sibling day?
And while you are thinking about your personal holidays, I would finish this and slowly ease my way back to dreamland.
I like this new info (to me, anyways). I always had the idea that in India, when the husband dies ahead of the wife, the wife will have to throw herself into the grave and be buried alive....
ReplyDeleteThat's why in the Philippines, we have a Piyesta ng Patay (???) ... because the Filipinas are not thrown into the grave with their dead husbands! Another holiday, indeed!
Rest in peace, Doc! hahahaha!
And FYI -- The former Philippine President (or disputed to be the "legal" one) Erap Estrada DID establish for a Family Day in the Philippines. However, I think it was junked by majority of the Filipino fathers who had more than one "Legal" family ...
ReplyDeleteThere are appreciation days for Grandparents, Teachers, et al... all Hallmark holidays, too...
And of course, I propose that for BIRTHDAYS, the birthday celebrant could spend the day any way s/he wants -- either away from the office or at work ... and sleep for 9 months again. or almost the equivalent of it in work years...
I want a 'Be Lazy Day' - I will do this to contribute to the global economic crisis solution. If several of us would do this, we can save on food consumption (sleeping in means skipping breakfast) and save on fuel (no need to commute to work). We can also contribute to saving the environment since we need not get out of our pajama (pajama all-day, doing dvd movie marathon)therefore less clothes to wash -- less detergent to pollute our water.
ReplyDeleteSigh...when can we declare our 'Be Lazy Day'?
My two cents worth :-))
N