A Trick or Treat?

Unlike in developing economies wherein majority of the people are struggling to make ends meet, Halloween fun is considered big deal for most of the kids and teens in developed countries like the United States. Lots of halloween hullabaloos (e.g. events, parties, products) about the holiday are being advertised via the tri-media prior to the Halloween night, held in the evening of October 31st , mainly to entice customers into buying or patronizing related products. Some people would then either buy Halloween stuffs, from decors to food, for their homes or trick-or-treating for kids or throw Halloween parties for family and friends. Due to consumer demand, malls and stores would supply the needed things by displaying wide array of Halloween decors, which by the way have likewise evolved through the years, as to colors, sizes, designs, shapes, brands and prices.

This is where commercialization plays a role in shaping the spending habits of people during holidays, be it Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The said holidays nowadays are pretty much highly commercialized, i.e. products are offered on sale, stores are decorated according to holiday theme (e.g. carved pumpkins and skeletons with cobwebs for Halloween), and pre-made costumes (e.g. princesses stuffs from Disney stores) and special candy or chocolate are made widely available, leaving the spirit or the real essence of the particular holiday being forgotten.

Despite the foregoing, Halloween preparations in NYC are definitely felt and visible. There are a couple of homeowners who go out of their way to buy stuffs for Halloween decors, and lots of candies for trick-or-treating where kids in their best pretty or monster like costumes would normally go door-to-door in their neighborhood. My experience last year was a bit disappointing. I placed my favorite handcrafted basket with full of candies, from chocolates, small toys, lollipops, and wide variety of hard and soft candies at the doorstep and placed a note for them to pick some. To my dismay, a group of teens got all of it, brought along the entire stuff together with my favorite large native basket! They’ve tricked me all along!

Incidentally, while on my way home today, I had the opportunity of taking snapshots of interesting outdoor household spooky decors in my neighborhood such as skeleton crafts, graveyard fun, ghosts, and other scary things. Here, take a peek:

(photo property of www.myusefultips.com)

Whether it’s a “treat or a trick”, I see nothing wrong with participating in any Halloween events for “fun” purposes and especially if one has the means for it. However, it would be prudent to consider the spiritual significance behind it. I don’t intend to elaborate on the origin and history of Halloween, but the fact and the reality that Halloween for majority of Christians, like most of us, is being celebrated on the eve till the wee hours of November 1 which is the feast of All Saints Day, and that the following day is the Feast of All Souls Day, parents may start considering teaching their kids about the relevance of commemorating the said Feasts.

As such, one can celebrate Halloween simply and not overdoing it. After the Halloween fun, parents may then teach their kids to honor and ask intercession from the Saints and the next day, November 2 is the All Souls day, where they should find time to pray for dead loved ones so they can be with God in Heaven forever and that is what is more important. In this way, kids can be treated to a fun celebration, e.g have more candies and games and at the same time they can be informed of the more important concerns about Halloween!

Have a fun Halloween night!

Our Lady of Manaoag Feast Day Celebrations in NYC

For Catholics worldwide, the month of October is dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. It is one of the major Marian feast days particularly for devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary and believers of the significance and powers of the Holy Rosary.

The feast day of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag likewise falls in October and is consistently celebrated by Filipino migrants throughout the United States, particularly the natives of Manaoag, Pangasinan, a town which is about more than 100 miles north of Manila.

The original image of Our Lady of Manaoag is currently enshrined at the Church of Our Lady of Manaoag, where throngs of devotees and pilgrims visit every day.

It is reported that the image of Our Lady has performed miracles based on various testimonies inscribed at the said church’ murals and accounts by people who have received tremendous help and favors granted.

Almost all of the parishes in the United States where Filipinos are present and actively involved in the Apostolate would normally celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Manaoag. There were parishes like Our Lady of Pompei and the Immacualte Conception Church which commemorated the feast of Our Lady of Manaoag in the month of May.

However, at the Church of the Holy Child Jesus, the heads of the Filipino Apostolate decided to celebrate it last October 10, which coincides with the month of the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. A nine-day novena with the recitation of the Holy Rosary commenced the celebration.

A small replica of Our Lady of Manaoag , owned by Kuya Cesar and Ate Linda Quitalig, was present during the novena.

We were also privileged to be visited by the beautiful image of Our Lady of Manaoag dressed in “gold” robe during the day of the mass itself, courtesy of Mr. Michael Calicdan.

It was a special celebration as there was a coronation ceremony led by Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Guerrero and flower offering which were made part of the liturgy. The Holy Child Jesus (HCJ) Fil.-choir in their native Filipina dress and barong Tagalog rendered the liturgical songs and showed their wonderful talents during the entire ceremony, with the Himig Heswita’s version of Ave Maria Gratia Plena, as one of the highlights.

HCJ's FilAm choir tenors and basses

version of Ave Maria Gratia Plena, as one of the highlights.

The celebration last October 24, 2010 at St. Lucy’s Church in Manhattan may be considered as the culminating activity for the feast day of Our Lady of Manaoag in NYC. The event was organized by the Our Lady of Manaoag Society of America, led by its President Nida Cortez.. Mr. and Mrs. Ernesto and Rixie Tagle were the current Hermano/Hermana Mayores, respectively. The sponsors were the Board of Directors of Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) and the community representatives.

OLM image photo taken at St. Lucy Church, different from the one crowned at HCJ(courtesy of www.myusefultips.com)

Apart from the holy mass which was officiated by Most Rev. Oscar Aquino,JCD, other highlights of the celebration included the Blessing of the Medals. Installation of the Hermano and Hermana and the Sponsors, with the Investiture of Medals and Installation of Sashes, and the Crowning Ceremony.

It was a remarkable celebration, not because the church was jam packed with devotees and parishioners, but because of the 4 musical groups that offered and shared their talents, not only from FilAms but by foreigners as well. There was this amazing rendition of the liturgical songs by the Himig at Alay Music Ministry led by our friend Philip

the interpretation of Mr. Bob Kennaway, an American tenor, of the song “How Great Thou Art”,

the sax instrumental version of Ave Maria by a Venezuelan guy and the communion song “Lead Me Lord” by a few of the members of San Lorenzo/St. Lucy Choir.

(Venuezuelan man in the background)

As a matter of fact, Msgr. Aquino related one of the songs about God’s greatness that He gave us Blessed Mary, who is just like us, to be the Mother of Jesus, the Savior of the World.

Just like any other gatherings, the two feast day celebrations which I’ve witnessed both concluded with the partaking of food donated by devotees, line dance and the merriment. I would say, all of these could serve as ways of Our Lady giving back her gratefulness to us too!

Dedicated volunteers during HCJ's Our Lady of Manaoag fellowship (courtesy of www.myusefultips.com)

Line Dance activity during HCJ's OLM fellowship (courtesy of www.myusefultips.com)

Line dance activity at St. Lucy's social hall (courtesy of www.myusefultips.com)

Postscript:

Our Lady of Manaog is “canonically crowned image of our Lady of the Holy Rosary, duly recognized by the Vatican and enshrined in a church under the Dominican Order in the Philippines".

Moving Forward……

My blog is 8 months old now and I recall it was almost springtime when it was launched. The trees at Forest Park have started to grow leaves in full and spread and so was my blogging!

(Forest Park, Queens, New York at spring time -courtesy of www.myusefultips.com)

It's fall season now and it's a beautiful time of year, full of color and crisp fresh air. Autumn leaves are colorful, bright, warm and vibrant.

(Forest Park, Queens, NYC at fall time)

However, they gently fall off tree and wither eventually.

To some, blogging may be likened to an autumn leaf. As it progresses, the passion for writing becomes intense and the topics tend to be more interesting and challenging. However, the pressure of meeting project deadlines, the depressing moments, the technical failures, the lack of inspiration and the times when the blogger’s head isn’t just into it, may lead one to take a leap of faith, hopefully not seriously considering quitting….but simply relaxing for a moment!

That’s what happening to me and probably a chunk of billion bloggers in the web now. I understand there are bloggers whose blogs have dropped off the radar. That’s normal but quite disappointing especially if the reasons behind it are flimsy (e.g. lack of traffic, meager revenues and the like). My case is different. While there are so many things to write about under the sun, the inner drive and motivation aren’t working in my favor. It’s just I don’t like or feel writing. Expert bloggers would normally recommend to take time off and comeback to it when everything is normal!

But how can a blogger relinquish his/her very first pet blog project even for a time being? How can an assertive, open-minded and vocal person continue to express opinion on world issues without being visible in the blogosphere? I am just a simple person with simple dreams. I want to help change our world to be a better place to live in. I am not a journalist who's either fairly protected under existing journalistic laws or free as a bird, so to speak, to make commentaries whether in print or online. But I am delighted to be one of the bloggers who in their unique creative ways are able to contribute and shout to the whole world great ideas on certain global and relevant issues.

I didn’t know that I would go this far, as far as blogging is concerned. I thought it was simply one of my whims and caprices. It was a spur-of-the moment thing-didn’t know where it’s heading as a matter of fact. I didn’t have any slightest idea that I would be able to express what’s in my mind and heart. All I know, I merely wanted to express my views and I am just glad I have learned to love writing. The die is cast! Blogging for me may be like an autumn leaf, colorful as it is, but definitely not going to fall from where it is now. I can’t refrain from my blogging activities……. I’m determined to keep this for life!

So, my dear readers, friends and family members, please bear with me if from time to time, I’ll take a nap to enjoy a little bit for myself. However, I want you to know that I really appreciate your effort of dropping by my web place, the awesome comments and most of all the joy that you bring to my life!

If you have suggestions on how to enjoy writing, feel free to shoot me a note and thank you for your comments.

My Useful Tips

Monthly Archives: October 2010

A Trick or Treat?

Moving Forward……