Ross Belle Santos Balatbat
The Pahiyas festival is a tradition that originated in Lucban, Quezon in the Philippines to thank God for the bountiful harvest and honor the patron saint of farmers, Saint Isidore the Farmer and Saint Maria Toribia, his wife.
During the festival, the people of Lucban adorn their homes with colorful decorations made of fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, and kiping, or rice wafers made from glutinous rice and shaped with molds taken from real leaves of specific plants. Kiping can be grilled or fried and can be dipped in sugar, vinegar, or other sauces. After the festival, the locals usually share these decorative fruits and vegetables amongst themselves.
In Macau, the Quezonian Association of Macau (QUESMAC) and the Legion of Mary have been organizing the event for the past 18 years, topped by a thanksgiving Mass. In observance of pandemic precautions, the festivities surrounding the event have been omitted this year. Notwithstanding, the traditional novena was held from May 20 to 28 after the evening Mass at Saint Augustine Church. The Holy Rosary was also prayed before the Mass.
The main celebration was on Sunday, May 30, which was also the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity. A procession with the images of St Isidore and St Maria Toribia preceded the Eucharistic celebration. Twenty-two ladies depicting different Marian invocations followed the images of the saints.
During the mass, the priest presider encouraged the parishioners to take inspiration from Saint Isidore’s perseverance. As patron of the farmers, he believed in God’s love and in turn loved God in his daily life as a farmer together with his wife, Toribia.
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