Sunday a.m. The bati was danced infront of our house twice. It was great! Again, it's one of those traditions.

Every Easter Sunday, there is a Salubong of the risen Jesus and Mama Mary. The Jesus and Mama Mary floats are paraded from the opposite ends of the town and they meet in the middle, at the church. The men go with the Jesus and the women walk alongside the Mary float. Upon meeting, a child dressed up as an angel takes down the veil from Mary's head and declaims a prayer/poem while in a basket suspended up in a pole. It's sort of like talking to the people from the heavens. (I've been an Easter Sunday angel before when I was a kid. I don't really remember much of it. Mom and dad say that I memorized the prayer/poem by heart and I did well. I did not make a single mistake. They also said that I was so afraid to come up there. hehe...)

After the angel ceremony, a teenage girl carrying a small flag and four little girls called guias dance the bati. The bati is a greeting to Jesus, meant to symbolize the joy of the people because of the resurrection. It is enchanting! The bati dancers are in beautiful dancing gowns. The bati is divided into 4 dances - the bolero, the martsa, and I forgot the other 2. It's danced in the streets and the people give money - they pin it on the dancers' gown, they make a sash of money and give it to the dancers, coins are thrown in the street, etc. The money is given to the church of course. (I've been guia twice so I know the dances and I know how much fun it is. And again, there is a spirit of tradition in it. Plus, you raise money for charity.)

For this year, both the Roman Catholic and the Aglipayan churches in our town had the bati. My cousin from the father's side Guianna is the Roman Catholic bati's teenage girl. My cousin from the mother's side Lourdes is one of the guias in the Aglipayan bati. They were both beautiful. The Catholics wore a deep purple gown with spaghetti strap on one shoulder and a Greecian shoulder cut on the other. They had orchids in their hair. The Aglipayans wore a refreshing mint-colored gown with lots of beads. Guianna's gown was open-back. Very stylish!

I'm sure glad I woke up early for a change and I was able to catch it. After all, it only happens once a year. And it is yet another reminder of the richness of the tradition in our family, in my religions, and in my town.

Sunday p.m. We went to the wake of Lola Ilyang again and met more relatives. After that, we went to the mall. To the kind people there, please pray for the soul of my grandma.