Joshua Isleta
Easter in the Philippines and Glasgow
Easter in the Philippines is usually a week-long celebration commonly known as Holy Week or Semana Santa. It’s a time that many use to remember the meaning behind Easter—the rise of Jesus himself! This stretch is the longest holiday weekend of the year, and those who do observe Holy Week celebrate it by spending quality time at church and around loved ones.
Celebrations vary depending on the tradition of your family and whether you’re in the city or the province. It usually involves Visita Iglesia or going around different churches and spending some time with the stations of the cross—which show Jesus’ journey to Calvary.
The week starts with Palm Sunday. In the town I live in, many vendors sell palm leaves to symbolize how the leaves were placed on the ground when Jesus entered Jerusalem. In the province, some will commemorate the week by re-enacting the story of Jesus through a play in the town square. This is known as the “Senakulo”. Others will attend a vigil mass on Saturday night in anticipation of Easter.
At the very end of the week lies Easter or Resurrection Sunday, where we celebrate Jesus rising from the grave as God’s free gift to mankind. The way Filipinos celebrate this day varies. Some greet the day with salubong (Tagalog for “welcome”), which involves processions to the church that symbolize Jesus defeating death. A hymn is then sung while the church lights are turned on.
My family begins with a traditional breakfast of ensaymada: a Filipino fluffy pastry topped with cheese and sugar. We then attend Resurrection Sunday service and commemorate the life of Christ with the community at our church!
The whole day is a very special time. Growing up, lunch after service sometimes involved dishes reserved for special occasions like lechon (roast pig) and desserts like “buko pandan” (sweet coconut pudding). We sometimes played traditional games to bring the family together, like Hampas-Palayok, where a player is blindfolded and given a bat to break a hanging pot containing treats for everyone.
Easter Sunday will be a bit different for me this year: it will be my first time spending the day in Glasgow! We’ll be celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection at Every Nation Glasgow church in the southside, and everyone is welcome to join—including first-timers or those who don’t usually observe Holy Week.
Holy Week would be missing something without Filipino food, and this Easter we’ll celebrate by preparing a small and simple feast of different forms of silog: a classic breakfast dish that consists of garlic fried rice and egg. You can have it with tocino (sweet marinated pork), longganisa (local sausage), or tapa (cured beef). It’s going to be a very special day with the meaning behind Easter in mind and lots of reminders of home.
References:
Globe (2024) 10 Activities to Make Your Holy Week Meaningful. Available at: https://www.globe.com.ph/go/shopping-lifestyle/article/holy-week-activities (Accessed 15 April 2025).
Team Bayanihan. (n.d.) 20 Mga Larong Pinoy for Team Building. Available at: https://teambayanihan.com/larong-pinoy-for-team-building/ (Accessed 15 April 2025).