Flores De Mayo

I mentioned it already in one of my previous blog entries: filipinos love fiestas and festivals. They are celebrated all-year  round. Fiestas are celebrated all over the country, in particular during summer months. May is the merriest among the months of a year. May is the month in which many fiestas are celebrated like the Flores De Mayo or the Flowers of May. During this event, people harvest their beautifully blooming flowers  and use them decorate the altars of their Parish Church. All towns celebrated this festival. In my place, children were gathered every afternoon of the whole month of May in Church to pray the Holy Rosary, with beautiful arranged flowers with them which are to be offered to Mother Mary. After the rosary, children marched down the aisle to the altar of Mother Mary. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the goodness and purity of the Blessed Virgin  Mary.

During my childhood, I also experienced this kind of doings every summer. This event is what most of the children awaited. I did all my chore assignment in the morning so I could attend this activity. Sometimes, my parents teased me that they wouldn't allow me to go to this event, and I cried since I didn't want to be absent. I was always excited as I walked with my friends on our way to church. It was one of the memorable moments I had during my childhood. I always wanted my flowers to be arranged beautifully since during at the end of the session, there are awards for the best flowers. During also the activity, children were guarded by big sisters, and the children who behaved best also got awards. I wanted that award that I never moved even turned my head to my side from the start up to the end of the session. Hehehe! I found it hard but I did it just for that small piece of paper where "Best Behaved" was written. I got the two awards (flowers and behaving), not each time, but at least a couple of times, I got it. I was so happy that time as if I got one bag of candies! Yehey!

It was really a funny experience. I never forget that. Today, I miss doing that. I used to have the small piece of award paper with me but unfortunately, my sister threw it away since she didn't know that I keep it as a remembrance. I felt sad but we never found it again. I just think that it was just a piece of paper. What's important is that the event is still on my mind. God bless us all! Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!