Rituals Of The Mundane

There are only two dates in which we observe total severance from everything commercial, New Year’s Day and Good Friday. At least that’s what I observed in the place where I live. You cannot find any establishment that’s open, even the malls and big department stores, who takes pride in providing the ultimate definition for consumerism, are closed in defiance of their existence.

Good thing.

So the populace is forced to stay at home and reflect on their transgressions, attend liturgy, walk with the scheduled processions, or, as in the case of my neighbors, organize cockfights. That’s has been their “tradition” since the phenomenon (I call it us such), was observed (by me) ten years ago.

At first, I shook my head, and I didn’t know better, consider it blasphemy. The next year after that, it became bigger with people coming from other barangays; I consider it a resolute waywardness of everything Christian. Now, ten years after, I call it, hopeless.

I went to a place yesterday where years ago teems with people, doing penance, by walking and doing the station of the cross, now, the pictures speak for themselves.