Irish: June 2022

Mother's Day is an international holiday honoring mothers that is observed in many nations. The modern version of the holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the United States. Many other countries observe the holiday on this day, while others do it at different periods of the year. On Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, the custom of permitting those who had migrated away to visit their home parishes and mothers evolved during the Middle Ages. In the United Kingdom, this became Mothering Sunday, which has mostly been superseded by Mother's Day in modern times.

The ancient Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother's Day is the early Christian festival known as "Mothering Sunday," which fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their "mother church."

Mother's Day is an international holiday commemorating the respect, honor, and love that people have for their mothers. The day is dedicated to honoring mothers' contributions, as well as the efforts of maternal bonds and the role of mothers in our society. It is a day that reminds people of the importance and significance of mothers in their lives, and it is marked as a day to honor all mothers around the world.

Every mother devotes her entire life to her child. No one can measure the depth of a mother's sacrifice, and we can never repay our moms' invaluable favors and love. It is our responsibility to care for, respect, and love our mothers. Mother's Day is observed to honor our mothers and to express them our undying love and affection. Even though Mother's Day is observed every year on the second Sunday in May, we should honor our mothers every day to make them feel special.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/144396731781591929/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/329044316533924564/

https://blog.shyaway.com/how-a-mother-plays-an-inseparable-role-in-each-of-our-lives/

https://www.engadget.com/mothers-day-gift-ideas-123010613.html

The "Heritage City," as Vigan is known, bursts into merry colors through its Binatbatan Festival, a non- Religious Festival in honor of the thanks-giving & celebration of peoples' Weaving Industry held around May. Binatbatan Festival has its origins in Vigan's abel weaving industry, which existed long before the Spaniards arrived to colonize the Philippines. It is derived from the word batbat, which refers to a pair of bamboo sticks used to extract cotton pods from kapas sanglay trees. In Ilocano, the word "kapas" (from kapas sanglay) signifies "cotton."

This festival began in 2002 to highlight this ancient weaving technique that predates the arrival of the Spaniards. Binatbatan became another Ilocano folk dance or an occupational dance. Performers of this dance maneuver in and out of the parallel sticks and the resulting rhythm and speed of the beating of sticks made a colorful and lively display.

Street dancers of the Binatbatan Festival joyfully and cheerfully wave their "batbat," some simulate the method done by abel-weavers in separating the pieces of cotton as they gracefully perform the process artistically with the beat of the drums and lyres rolling around the historic streets of the heritage city of Vigan.

Despite the fact that it was an extremely hot day, the street dancers continued to beam with joy at their rich history and tradition. Street dancing becomes more exciting over time, from Vigan's bustling Quezon Avenue to the lively Liberation Boulevard to the tranquil and quiet Calle Crisologo.

Even small children who participated in the street dance gave it their all without showing any signs of tiredness or complaint.

This year's event was quite different from previous years' celebrations before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were more activities conducted then than as of now during the pandemic with only limited activities connected to this festival. However, what matters is that we still remember and recognize this festival.