Saturday January 20, 2024, I wandered beneath a lavender-esque dusk to the small town plaza of Paete, Laguna (a population of around twenty-five thousand.)
A line of about two dozen Santo Nino's (infant Christ figures) made a colorful cue waiting to enter the Church grounds to receive the blessings before parading them through the town. Blessings that did include a short burst of fireworks.
Each Santo Nino had it's own flavor, some were very small, pushed in carts, some configured like the Ark of the Covenant, the large with many pole bearers at each corner, smaller ones with fewer. One was mounted on a tricycle, a simple typical tricycle and driver. Some of the large elaborately lit ones were followed by portable electricty generators on makeshift wheels appropriately tended.
Each participant's Santo Nino is designed to address a particular blessing desired for the New Year. One appeared dressed as a cook, another a negra dressed in white, and many female or appeared androgenous in royal gowns and crowns of gold where some of these the blessing desired simply put into words and posted. All officially registered beforehand of course.
The pole bearers sway in unison as they walk ("Saliw" dance swaying) rocking the Santo Nino (the child) from side to side. At times there were so many crowded to a pole it resembled the tightly cramped rope bearers of the Black Nazerene-the Nazarenyo in Manila, though nowhere as congested. Although I was told the final Sunday of the month "dadami ang tao" there will be many more people.
As the Santo Ninos passed, they floated like alien spacecraft against the night. Through darkened narrow streets of Paete they mingle with the streetlights, playing with shadows, delightfully flickering, setting the pavement beneath them a glow as well as the faces of the towns folk. The misty air filled by the good wishes of the people behind genuine smiles and solemn conviction.
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