Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Kings, shepherds, kids parade Parian’s streets
PASKO sa Karaang Parian (Christmas in Old Parian) returns for its second year as a revival of a cherished old Cebu Christmas tradition with processions of the Three Kings and shepherds to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for the early dawn nine-day Misa de Gallo.
From Dec. 16 to 24, the early dawn processions of the Three Kings with their camels from Barangay Tinago and shepherds and their sheep from Barangay Parian will start at 4 a.m. at the corner of Mabini and Lopez Jaena streets in front of the oldest ancestral house in Cebu, the 17th century Yap-Sandiego ancestral house.
They will converge to a single procession before making their way to the Cathedral less than half a kilometer away as Cebuano Christmas carols will be played.
Reenact
The processions reenact the journey of the Three Kings led by a bright star to the Holy Child.
In this old Parian district tradition, the Three Kings are accompanied by many happy and festive children to the Bethlehem of Christmas, the Cathedral, where the Misa de Gallo is celebrated by the community.
The papier-mache Three Kings dressed in colorful costumes are mounted on burlap camels and are pulled by the barangays’ residents. They are accompanied by neighbors and their children dressed as shepherds with their sheep.
This traditional procession is for the children to remember and experience the happiness and the true meaning of Christmas.
Feeding
Every procession ends with the traditional “painit” (feeding) in front of the Cebu Heritage Monument for the children of ba-rangays Tinago and Parian.
This Christmas tradition for the barangays’ children shows the importance of giving and sharing during Christmas.
Ancestral
Choreographer Val Sandiego conceptualized the revival of the old Parian Christmas tradition in 2005, when he acquired ownership of the family’s ancestral house that has belonged to seven generations of the Yap-Sandiego family.
Despite the difficult times and the restoration of the house, Sandiego has decided to continue the old Parian tradition for the neighborhood children and the community.
Sandiego is now restoring his family’s 298-square-meter balay nga bato og kahoy (house of wood and stone) with an original pitched tile roof.
Decor
He has again decorated the house for the holiday season with Christmas parols, stars and seven large wooden archangels on the exterior.
Pasko sa Karaang Parian is supported by Tinago Barangay Captain Joel Garganera and Parian Barangay Captain William Balaga with their barangay officials and residents.
The organizations supporting Pasko sa Karaang Parian 2006 are the Confradia de San Juan Bautista, Kagikan sa Parian and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
