Customs and Traditions

Alicia, Isabela is a municipality in the Philippines' Cagayan Valley region of the Philippines. Like many other towns and communities in the nation, Alicia has its own set of traditions and customs that its residents uphold.

"Pagay Festival"

The “Pagay Festival” is held annually every September 28 in conjunction with the founding anniversary of the town of Alicia. It used to be called Alicia Town Festival, but was redefined and renamed to Pagay Festival in 2010 by Mayor Cecilia Claire N. Reyes. Every year on September 28 in honor of the founding anniversary of the town of Alicia, the "Pagay Festival" is held. In addition to promoting the municipality's principal agricultural product, pagay (Ilocan for rice), which is the municipality's main source of income and trademark, the event aims to preserve the town's cultural identity and history. The event has a number of competitions (such as rice growing, harvesting, and cooking among others), a street dance competition, the Mutya ng Alicia beauty pageant, a battle of the bands, and exhibitions. It also draws a sizable community participation. The festival's primary feature is the Pagay Parade, which attracts visitors and spectators. It comprises people marching in colorful costumes, decorated carabaos, and other rice harvest floats.

The Pamamanhikan

In the traditional Filipino custom known as pamamanhikan, The bride's family is publicly courted for marriage by the groom and his family. This custom is still practiced in Alicia, and when the two families meet together to celebrate the upcoming marriage, there is typically a feast involved. The word "panhik," which means to climb or ascend the house steps, is the root of the phrase "pamamanhikan."

The concept of going up the stairs to ask the family for their hand in marriage stems from the previous construction of Filipino homes. The entrance door was often up a flight of stairs in most houses since they were elevated. Before he could make his marriage proposal to the prospective bride's family, a guy had to ascend these stairs.

Since the Filipino practice entails making some sort of appeal or pleading before receiving the parents' blessing, "to implore" is probably the closest contextual English translation of pamamanhikan.

So how does this Filipino custom of marriage operate? In Pamamanhikan, what does one do? How is pamamanhikan carried out?
The bride's parents must be approached by the groom in order to request their daughter's hand in marriage. If they agree, the couple would next make their first official visit to the bride's family, typically over supper.

Particularly if they haven't met before, the gathering usually opens up with a simple introduction of the family members. The foundations of the wedding, including the date, locations, and guest list, are then discussed by the two families.

The world is quickly transforming into a global village today, with many nations benefiting from a diversified society. Not only is it important to understand other cultures, but it also encourages peaceful cohabitation.

It is important to remember that each of us is unique when we study various cultures. Treat each other as an individual rather than assuming the worst. It will go a long way toward improving the environment and fostering our collective success. In this post, we'll talk about culture and explore why it's important to comprehend other ethnic groups.

Tradition offers a stage on which to present role models and commemorate the important things in life. In order to maintain the customs and traditions of the nation, it is crucial that we learn about them. We might start to value and use our cultures and traditions more in our daily lives as a result of learning more about them.

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