Lucban Pahiyas Festival: Kiping the age-old Tradition Alive

Every May 15th, all roads lead to the town of Lucban for the annual celebration of the Pahiyas Festival. The Pahiyas Festival is celebrated during the feast day of the town’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.

During this time of the year, locals would always go out of its way to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving to its patron saint. And what a better way to celebrate this special day than beck the houses with fruits and vegetables: The harvests of the town.

Chili, squash, corn, eggplant, rice,and a whole lot more are normally used to decorate the houses. Aside from the fruits and vegetables, probably the star of the Pahiyas is the Kiping.

Kiping is a thin, colored sheet usually made of rice flour and shaped like leaves. These are then tied together and hung in walls and windows as a decor. but more than just a decor, kiping is also eaten after being grilled in flame of fried in oil.

It is the kiping that completes the whole Pahiyas Festival Celebration. A house may be beautifully decorated, but lacks soul if it doesn’t have a kiping.

Normally the houses that gets decorated are those located along the procession route. Every year, the route of the religious procession is changed so that every street in Lucban will also have the chance to decorate their homes.

In the afternoon of May 15th, the image of San Isidro Labrador is then brought out of the church for a religious procession. More than just a procession, the event also becomes a celebration of thanksgiving for everyone. Once the image has already passed by the houses, some of its fruits and vegetables can already be taken home. Flowers are also offered to the image as a pasasalamat.

Every year, thousands of tourists would flock to Lucban to enjoy the colors of he fiesta. This year, even more tourist went to the celebration since the fiesta date falls on a weekend.

We left Manila at 3AM, and we arrived in Lucban at 6AM. Upon arrival, we then took photos of the beautifully decorated houses. It was a bit early. Many locals were still asleep when we went there. And there were no tourists in the area yet. At around 8AM we then had our authentic Lucban breakfast: Longganisang Lucban, Pancit habhab and Pancit Chami.

After breakfast, we then circled the town again and took more photos. We left the town immediately after lunch, just before the traffic jam started to build up.

It was my first time in Quezon province (my 41st!) and my first time in Pahiyas Festival. I am so overwhelmed at the beauty of its fiesta. All houses are open to every tourists. Everybody is welcome to partake of the fiesta foods served at the table!

I would definitely go back to Lucban next year for the Pahiyas Festival 2011!

Check my Hir Na Me! and Where In The Philippines posts about the Pahiyas