Festivals

 

 

Pahiyas Festival

 

 

Probably, one thing comes to mind when festival in Quezon is the topic, no other than the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. Pahiyas Festival is a colorful feast in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saints of farmers, as a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Houses along the old streets of Lucban are artistically decorated with agricultural harvest, and of the very unique highlight of the festival, the "kiping". It is a wafer made up of rice that comes in different colors.

The Lucban San Isidro Festival is being celebrated in Lucban, Quezon every 15th day of May. Presently, the festivities has become an institution in the cultural life of Lucban which started from its humble beginning as far back as 1500. The feast is being held as a manifestation of thanksgiving to San Isidro Labrador, the acknowledged Patron Saint of the Farmers, for the bountiful harvest for the year. The weeklong festivities has come of age and has attracted tourists from both local and foreign shores.

According to the oral and recorded history of Lucban, the Feast of Saint Isidore was first observed by the native Tagalogs who used to settle at the foot of Mount Banahaw during the early Christianization of the natives of Lucban, Tayabas circa 1500. Then known as "Maluban" or " Columban", the whole community of Lucban conducted a simple celebration as a form of thanksgiving to the Anitos for the good harvest of farm products such as palay, vegetables, fruits, and fish. As practice by the local persons in Lucban, Quezon, preparation for the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival starts weeks before May 15th every year.

This festival serves also as a time for family reunion. Relatives of families along the procession route used to gather in an effort to help prepare the decoration days before the festivity until May 16th or the hour of dismantling of the decorations. The relatives together with the household hosts dined together, work together and exchanged pleasantries about their lives and current issues. At the end of the festivities, after the dismantling of the decorations, the relatives are given a sampling of kiping, suman, and other items as token of the host-families gratitude, which carry on their way home.

This is the spirit of the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival. A meaningful offering and a thanksgiving to God through Saint Isidore, the Patron of farmer, for the bountiful harvests. Also, it attracts many local and foreign visitors to observed and experienced this wonderful, unforgettable colorful event!