My First Festival

Last night, the Mistress and Master took me to my very first festival - It was the May Flower festival. We did not ride their pick-up named Riboy. Mistress carried me on her shoulders while the Master held mother on a leash. We went to the nearest street where most cars and people pass (a highway - my mother said, but I have no idea why it's called as such when it's not even high...). Mama Meha and Party stayed to guard the house, despite their protests.

The festival was actually a procession that will end in the church. The Mistress and the Master have not been going to this "church" so we'll just be watching it from the highway. This place, as mother told me, is as sacred as the place where a dog would usually stash their bones. Humans, she observed, go there to pay respect to an invisible being they call "God." It is going to the church, she said, that makes humans kind to animals like us. I wonder how my humans could be kind to us when they don't go there. But I kept that question to myself, lest mother consider me bothersome like Party.

"I can see them, Uriel." Mistress said, pointing to a group of people approaching us.

I could smell something burning - like smoke and the rhythmic clanging and thumping noises.

"There's the band, Utoy." mother told me in DogSpeak,

"What's that supposed to be?" I asked mother,

"They carry contraptions that make the rhythmic noise we hear." she explained,

"Don't humans hate too much noise?" I prodded on,

"Oh, the band makes noise for humans to notice the procession." she explained further.

There it was, the band. We heard it before the other humans saw them. I saw young human girls with tight tops and short white skirts and high black boots carry colorful cloth hanging on a pole. They were playing with it, like it's an exhibition.

After them were the band. The band wore some kind of uniform. They had silly tophats with feathers of different color. I was at awe at how they managed to walk the same time to the rhythm they play and carry the heavy contraptions they either blow on their mouth or hit with sticks.

As they went past, I saw a bearded old man on a cart. He had very white hair and a wrinkled face. He does not look at the people staring at him. He's too busy toasting grains of grey sand on a shallow pan over red hot coals placed in a make-shift oven. Weird.

"He plays Methuselah," Mistress whispered to Master who was slyly grinning at the old man,

"Why does that procession need to have that silly character?" Master asked, still smiling,

"Well..he's a reminder that all that glitters will end up in dust.. Just like the sand he toasts over fire." she explained.

Then a woman with a red gown came after the old man. She was carrying a small triangular yellow cloth on a thin stick. She must be pretty popular because people joined her troupe.

"That's the Reyna Banderada," Mistress pointed out, "she represents the introduction of Christianity to the gentiles."

After the Reyna Banderada had passed, another group of children with curly black wigs. I can tell, they're not human hair. Their skin painted black with coal. They barely wore any clothes but they had makeshift wooden spears and big knives made of plastic. Their clothes are faux fur.

"The Aetas, I suppose." Master smiled,

"Yes, they represent the tribes that resided in the country before Spanish explorers introduced Christianity." Mistress added.

The children made war-like whoops and stomped their feet gaily as they followed the Reyna Banderada (Queen of the Flag).

Another woman in a simple, but glittering clothing followed the Aetas. She wore a sheer veil over her face and her arms were covered by the long sleeved sequined shirt she wore. Her long skirt was cut simply but richly embroidered with beads.

"A Muslim Queen, right?" Master asked,

"Right again. The Reyna Mora represents the religion that the country had before it was converted to Christianity." Mistress agreed.

"Mother, what are they talking about?" I asked,

"It's a kind of church, pup. Watch and listen, you'll get what they mean."

The next women that followed Reyna Mora wore billowy gowns of different styles but they all carried different objects to differentiate them from each other.

There were three women who are what Mistress called the "Christian Virtues." The first one was Reyna Fe, who represented Faith, and she carried a small cross. The second one was Reyna Esperanza, who represents Hope, and she carried a small metal anchor. The last one is Reyna Caridad, who represents Charity, and she carried a big red heart-shaped pillow.

After them, more interesting women came forth. They had more interesting costumes and had a lavish entourage. Master noticed that they all had a common theme: law.

The Reyna Abogada (the Queen of Lawyers, mom said,) wore a black flowing dress, a "toga" as mother said. She carries a heavy black book. She is said to defend the oppressed and the poor.

After her was the Reyna Sentenciada (a Sentenced Queen, Mistress said,). She's more interesting than the previous queen because her hands were tied loosely by a rope. The ends of the rope were held by men in "Roman soldier costume." Mistress said she represents the innocent who had been wrongly accused.

Then there was the Reyna Justicia (Queen of Justice, Master said,). She carried a foiled lined weighing scale and sword. She is said to embody justice.

The next group were said to be legendary women biblical characters of the 'old testament'.

There was Reyna Judith. Her costume is frightening. She carried a sword stained red (like blood) and a makeshift man's head. "Holoferns," Master guessed the beheaded man's name.

After her, there was Reyna Sheba. She carried a small wooden chest encrusted with shimmery stones. Mistress told Master that this was the queen that visited King Solomon (whoever he was) to test his wisdom.

From behind her was Reyna Esther. This woman looked queenly in her gown. She also carried a big stick with a stone at the end. (A scepter, mother corrected me, as I was trying to describe everything to Party and Mama Meha). This queen is said to save her countrymen from the hands of King Xerxes.

After them were another group. These were the women who were said to be mentioned in the 'new testament.'

The Samaritana wore a simple gown and a veil and carried a clay jar filled with water. She followed the Reyna Esther.

Then there was Veronica. This woman who plays Veronica had a big cloth with a man's face imprinted in red ink. She also had a veil on her head.

After her were three ladies who wore simple clothes and veils. They are the Tres Marias. They represented the three Mary's of Jesus: Mary the mother of Jesus who carried a hankerchief was flanked by Mary Magdalene who carries a bottle of perfume and has her long hair down, and Mary the mother of James who carried a bottle of oil.

"Look, the next group are the different titles of Mary, mother of Jesus." Mistress pointed out.

This group was led by eight small girls who all wore billowy white gowns with a wreath of white flowers on their hair. They carried letters that spelled out A-V-E-M-A-R-I-A.

The next woman who followed the girls wore a white tunic. She carried a wooden staff. She is said to be the Divina Pastora (The Divine Shepherdess).

Following her was a woman wearing a sheer gown and had a scepter (but it was actually a wand, mother said) that had a star on top. She is the Reyna de las Estrellas (Queen of Stars).

I smelled something sweet. Then I saw the next woman was carrying a bouquet of red roses. She walked under an arc that was also adorned with red roses. Every movement allowed the scent to permeate the air. She is the Rosa Mystica (Mystic Rose).

After the sweet smell of roses, I heard the soft cooing of a bird. If Mistress hadn't held me as tight, I would have run after it.

The next woman wore a white gown with a white bird. Her ark was adorned with flowers so white and and as fragrant as the Rosa Mystica. She is the Reyna Paz or the Queen of Peace.

Following her was the Reyna de las Propetas (Queen of Prophets), who carried an hourglass. Her ark as more colorful than the previous ones but not as fragrant.

The next woman, the Reyna del Cielo smelled just as sweet as the Reyna Paz. She is said to be the Queen of Heaven. She carried a bouquet of white flowers and she was flanked by two smaller girls whose gowns had wings.

"They're probably the angels," mother chastised me.

After her was the Reyna de las Virgenes. Like the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of Virgins had two small angels by her side and she carried a small bead with a cross at the end. (A 'rosary' mother pointed out.)

Then there was the Reyna de las Flores. She must be the Queen of Flowers because her grand ark had flowers of every imaginable kind.

The last woman in the procession was very majestic in appearnice. She had a crown of shining crystals and carried a cross. She has a small princely escort. She is said to be the Reyna Elena of the Queen Helena of the Cross. The boy is said to represent her son, Emperor Constantine.

"They kept getting prettier and prettier every year," Master commented as the Reyna Elena walked by.

"Yes they are." As Mistress threw Master a wicked look. She tugged at his hand, almost strangling mother. We headed home.

Mistress must be very smart for someone who does not go to church to know what everyone is supposed to play at that procession. Master kept his mouth shut afterwards. He focused instead on listening to Mistress explain who those people are and why they wear silly costumes and carry weird props.

"Humans like symbolism." Mother said when we got home,

"How do you know?" I asked,

"Why else would they dabble in religion?" she countered.

"Religion" is another concept that I have to learn. It must be very boring to be human to create something full of pageantry.