Observe the Lenten season from the Cebu Grand Hotel
From April 1 to April 9, 2007, the Cebu Grand Hotel joins the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines as it celebrates Holy Week, a weeklong period of prayer and devotion for this predominantly Catholic nation. We are a homey budget hotel in Cebu from which you can join many Filipinos participating in Holy Week’s colorful traditional rituals, a refreshing and spiritually uplifting experience for locals and tourists alike. (Read more)
On April 1, Palm Sunday, Cebuanos carry palm leaves for blessing by the parish priest; they then take these blessed leaves and place them above their front doors or windows, believing they ward off evil spirits.
From April 2 to 4, the Pasyon takes place in several places throughout Cebu. The Pasyon, or Passion, involves a ‘pabasa,’ or ‘reading,’ of the story of the life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ. Once the pabasa begins, it continues until the very end of the story, day and night; readings, depending on the reader, can last as long as two days.
On April 5, Maundy Thursday, Catholics visit several churches within Cebu City and the surrounding towns as part of ‘Bisita Iglesia,’ or ‘Church Visit.’ At each church, the faithful go through fourteen Stations of the Cross. The final mass of Easter is also celebrated on Holy Thursday, often with the priest and several townsmen reenacting Jesus’ washing of the apostles’ feet; after the mass, the Blessed Sacrament is taken to the Altar of Repose.
April 6, Good Friday, is an event-heavy day. Passion plays and street processions commemorate the path Jesus Christ took on the way to Calvary. After 3PM, the hour Christians believed Christ was to have died, Cebu falls silent and the faithful are encouraged to remain in prayer for the rest of the day and throughout April 7, Black Saturday.
On April 8, Cebu positively explodes in celebration of the rising of Christ. Large statues of Jesus Christ and his earthly mother, Mary, are brought together after a procession in a dawn ceremony called Salubong. The Easter Mass follows that.
Observe or participate in all the celebratory events of Holy Week from a comfortable and cozy Cebu hotel like the Cebu Grand Hotel. This historic budget hotel in Cebu affords terrific location to several churches and places celebrating Holy Week.
Labels: cebu grand hotel, events, holidays
