Pahiyas

As we watch the flowery month of May ebb away, we also bid farewell to the interminable fiestas that dot Filipino calendars everywhere. This year, I was able to fulfill my lifelong desire to see the Queen of Philippine Fiestas, the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon.





It's celebrated on May 15, the feast of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, in whose honor the townsfolk decorate their houses with produce and other things they harvest from their lands. Colorful leaf-shaped decors made of rice powder (kiping) are placed as accents in the already gorgeous home.