Why is Obando festival celebrated?

In Obando, Bulacan every May 17 to 19 fertility dances are performed in the parish church and then on the streets of the town. The three day fiesta is celebrated in honor of San Pascual de Baylon, Sta. Clara and Nuestra Senora de Salambao (Our Lady of Salambao). Prayers are offered to the three saints – Sta.

What happens during the Obando festival?

This festival involves the different dance rituals held for three consecutive days honoring three patron saints: May 17 for St. Paschal (for couples who want a male child), May 18 for St. Claire (for couples who want a female child) and May 19 for the Our Lady of Salambaw (patroness of fishermen).

What is the date of Obando festival?

May 17 to 19
Originally from Bicol, she, together with her husband Joey*, travelled all the way to Bulacan to join the Obando festival, a yearly three-day festival every May 17 to 19 that honors San Pascual Baylon, Santa Clara, and Our Lady of Salambao.

What is the patron saint of Obando Bulacan?

St. Clare
St. Clare is the oldest patron saint of Obando and the first to be enshrined at the chapel built by the Franciscan missionaries in Catanghalan, the old name of Obando town.

What is the importance of festival and rituals in the Philippines?

One reason why Filipinos celebrate these kinds of events is to honor and remember the different saints they believe have miraculous powers. The festivals in the country are mostly pious and religious in origin but nowadays, the religious component is usually secondary to the general spirit of the celebration itself.

Why do couples participate in fertility dance?

The popular fertility dance serves as a form of prayer for couples who are hoping to conceive. Catholics & Culture says it consists of five main steps that was formalized in 1993 through the help of a local choreographer and a national folk dancer who had memories of the dance they used to see from years past.

Who are the three saints from Obando Bulacan?

THREE PATRON SAINTS​ The second day is in honor of Santa Clara de Assissi (patron saint of good weather and good harvest). And the third is in honor of Nuestra Señora dela Immaculada Concepcion de Salambao, also known as Our Lady of Salambao (patron saint of the fishermen).

What type of dance is Rogelia?

ROGELIA: This is a courtship dance from the province of La Union. 7). PALU-PALO : This dance was inspired by the rhythmic beat of the Palu-Palo, a long piece of wood used by women washing clothes on the flat surface of a rock along the rivers edge.

Who are the three Saints from Obando Bulacan?

Locals and pilgrims, sometimes dressed in traditional costume, dance and sing in the town’s streets to honour and beseech Obando’s three patron saints: San Pascual (Paschal Baylon), Santa Clara (Clare of Assisi) and Nuestra Señora de Salambáo (Our Lady of Salambao).

Where is Obando festival celebrated?

Bulacan, Philippines
The Obando Fertility Rites are a dance ritual, initially an Anitist ritual, and later also became a Catholic festival celebrated every May in Obando, Bulacan, Philippines.

When is Obando Festival in Bulacan?

(Held during May 17-19) Obando, Bulacan. Festival. The Obando fiesta is celebrated from May 17-19. Couples who are childless can take this occasion to appeal for heavenly intercession and dance to please the Virgin of Salambao. San Pascual de Bailon and Sta.

What is the history of fertility dance in Bulacan?

Obando, a small town in Bulacan, has held to this age-old tradition of Fertility Dances to the present day and has attracted a lot of tourists the world round. The Fertility Dance of Obando has been part of tradition even before the Spanish conquest of the Philippines.

What to do during the Obando feast in the Philippines?

Obando, Philippines. A vendor at the Obando feast sells clothes in various sizes to decorate home statues of the Santo Niño de Cebú. Though not directly connected with the Obando feast, the Santo Niño (Holy Child) is enormously popular in the Philippines. Religious objects for sale in the church plaza during the Obando feast.

Why do we pray to the three saints of Bulacan?

The prayers are offered to these three saints for the childless, for religious virtue, and a bountiful catch since fishing is the main industry of Obando, Bulacan. The Fertility Dance most of the time is offered for Santa Clara, patron saint of the childless. Others dance to the saint in hope to find a mate.