#2: Fiesta Time with my Mama

Arriving in the Philippines with my mom is always special.  Thirteen years ago, Parker and I were childless nomads exploring the world and figuring our what we wanted from life.  Now we return with our babies, sharing with them what we love about the world while finding new experiences and making new memories.

When we arrived, my family started singing Happy Birthday to Kaia. They had set up a full party to surprise her for a belated celebration: lechon (traditional whole roasted pig) and all the sides. She was so surprised, she said, "who's birthday is it"? It clicked when she saw her name and all of our pictures on the wall.

The celebration began in the afternoon and family came in and out all day to welcome us. Of course, there was karaoke and the guitar came out in the evening. We ate and sang through the night. The kids jumped right in and got along well with their cousins. It was a great welcome.

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The week leading up to a fiesta is lively with many activities: parades, contests, food markets, etc. You know it's fiesta week when the  karaoke starts every morning ridiculously early, like 6/7am early. If it's not karaoke, then its speakers on full blast.

Everyone is cooking all day. Family and friends are always dropping off food. A bowl of this, a plate of that. It is none stop cooking and eating. Breakfast might last two hours since people are in an out. Of course you eat the whole time because it's rude not to eat with guests. Then as soon as we are done with a meal, we start prepping for the next. Throughout the day we gather around the dining table and eat together. It was a constant stream of visitors and constant eating. It was excessive and so much fun.

The day of the fiesta, we were invited to four homes to celebrate: 11am, 12:30pm, 4pm, and 6pm. The kids said, "What?! we can't eat that much!" We told them to do their best, ha. Every family welcomed us with a lechon and all the sides, home after home. We took naps in between. The last home was my Aunt Annette's house and we ended the evening with what else but  karaoke. We were stuffed and rolled ourselves home.

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While my mom was there, we went to a floating cottage and went to the river to celebrate my cousin's birthday. Every where we went, there are at least 30 of us. And it wouldn't be a Filipino gathering without food. All the food. So much food.

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On All Saints' Day is a public Christian holiday in the Philippines. It is a holiday to honor all the Saints, as well as a day to remember family and friends who have passed. Celebrating this meaningful holiday is one of my earliest memories, of our whole family gathering to remember and honor our passed relatives.  

The cemetery was lively and full of people. It is a special day for Filipinos. My aunt took us around to different sites to visit family who have passed and light a candle for them. We saw neighbors and distant cousins. It was a special tradition that Parker and I felt was important to share with our kids.

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Meeting my mom was the only solid date we had this year. We worked everything else around it. We are staying longer but the time she was here was a meaningful time our kids.  

Thank you, mom, for setting up Kaia's birthday, all the fun activities around fiesta, and for making our time here memorable!