What can be more Filipino than a fiesta? It celebrates our love of food, community, singing, dancing all those elements strung together like colorful street banderitas. What I love most about it is that everyone is involved from the local kakainin vendor to the church lay ministers & youth group, putting a spotlight on our genuinely warm and welcoming ways as Filipinos. I remember celebrating fiestas in our lola’s house in Cavite and people would just come in and out of the house to eat menudo, fried chicken & pancit, sit then share a few stories about people who all seem to be related.
On occasion we would also catch a procession featuring the local school band and women dancing in their traditional baro’t saya. It would always be so colorful and loud. While it was a hassle for those driving through the town, for the onlookers, it was part of tradition and was how the community made sure everyone was part of the festivities.
While many of the most popular Fiestas are linked to Christianity, centered around a patron saint, nowadays it is also a celebration of our rich culture, msic, art and history. Every month there are countless fiestas celebrated in the country. Even if the most popular ones are typically during the summer season, the truth is, in the Philippines fiesta season is all year round!
During our last visit to Manila, we took the opportunity to organize a Fiesta-themed playdate with my cousins and their toddlers at the Messy Baby Play studio. Marielle, Sharlyn and their team did such a good job in bringing to life the fiesta in a very interactive and fun way for our kids.
Lacson cousins and our messy babies!
There was a halo-halo station where the kids could practice scooping and identifying colors.
There was also a water station, inspired by the “Basaan sa San Juan” fiesta where the kids loved playing with the brushes and waited for the ice to melt.
No fiesta would be complete without fireworks! Painting of course was a hit!
Finally play doh was set-up for kids to make their own Philippine flag (it was all very abstract!)
In the end we all had fun, parents included! We had a worry-free messy and fun time without the stress of cleaning up after. But mostly we enjoyed, because we got to spend time with each other, a rare occasion now that some of us live abroad.
Have you thought about organizing a fiesta themed play date? It would also be a great birthday theme don’t you think?
For this month, inspired by the fiesta theme we will be sharing with you some songs and activities (from Messy Baby Play nothing less!) that you can do with your little one to make your own Filipino Fiesta at home.
Let’s get the party started!