A few weeks ago, the official Facebook account of Philippine Star released an infographic of the long weekends for the second half of 2015. The caption read: “Palace earlier declared July 17, Friday, a regular holiday in celebration of Eid’l Fitr. Here are the other long weekends in the second half of 2015. Plan your three-day weekend ahead!”
While there wasn’t anything wrong about the infographic, what gave me pause was how users reacted to the upcoming long weekends: Excited at the prospect of relaxing by the sea, or happy to be able to sleep-in at home. It made me consider how many Filipinos spend the holidays–the mall over the museum, the beach over history.
The ‘shares’ on my newsfeed following the post only served as further proof. People were already planning the next mountain they were going to conquer, or the road trip with their friends. I, too, am guilty of treating holidays as they were insignificant. There were times where I have passed on an opportunity to visit historical landmarks for the comfort of my bed, for the fleeting joy that shopping brought.
However, as the old saying goes, it’s not too late.
Holidays are meant to be a celebration of history and culture. It’s to allow individuals to commemorate an event or tradition of significance. Considering that the Philippines has a long and compelling background, it is only appropriate that we take those day-offs to go back to our roots.
There are many avenues to re-orient Filipinos with their history. Just last May, in celebration of National Heritage Month, the National Museum offered free admission throughout the month. Or, if you’re looking for a bit more excitement, the Bambike Ecotours in Intramuros lets guests ride through the streets on bamboo bikes created by Gawad Kalinga villagers.
Even having the basic knowledge of an event or tradition goes a long way. In lieu of National Heroes Day on August 31, the lesser known holiday in August as compared to Ninoy Aquino Day, here’s a bit of a background on why we’re celebrating it in the first place:
National Heroes Day is a public holiday to honor the women and men, known and unknown, who fought tirelessly during the Philippine Revolution from 1896 to 1898. It is held every last Monday of August to mark the Cry of Pugad Lawin, which is generally considered as the beginning of the revolution against the Spaniards. Among the known heroes we celebrate are Emilio Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, and Jose Rizal.
To a certain extent, I believe that holidays can also be celebrated in small ways. Take National Heroes Day, for example. Who are the heroes in your life? Who has changed the way you think and act? Or better yet, when was the last time you did something heroic? When was the last time you helped a friend or gave a starving child a hot meal?
Holidays are a time of celebration and reflection. It’s one of those rare days that lets you rejoice both as a community and as individuals, as a nation remembering its struggles and victories. Cheers to that.
