Observing The Feast of the Black Nazarene 2017

The Philippine Islands is known for the many feasts and fiestas they celebrate every year.  Many believe that fiestas or feasts are pagan practices of venerating and worshiping nature and their traditional gods and goddesses which got interspersed with the Roman Catholic religion's religious rites and rituals.  Because of the combination of both beliefs, what we can see now are the big feasts that are celebrated in honor of religious figures like the Senor Sto. Nino.    The feast of the Sto.  Nino are celebrated in the islands in the Visayas like Cebu and Panay.  The celebration in honor of the Sto. Nino is held in the month of January. 

In the Luzon island, the most famous yearly religious observation of a religious figure is held in the month of January as well.  This is the Feast of the Nazarene.  Hundreds of thousands, some speculate that a million would join in the Traslacion.  The passage of the andas,  the carriage that carries the figure of the Black Nazarene, from the historical Quirino Grandstand back to Its home which is the   Quiapo Church.  

Security becomes tight during the celebration of the Feast of Black Nazarene, as some groups might take advantage of the situation and plant bombs or do other such acts of terrorism.  The police force is deployed around the route of the Poong Nazareno as the holy statue is called,  Participants are encouraged to avoid bringing any bags with them or just bring transparent bags so that they don't have to be inspected by the police. The hospitals are in 'code blue' for casualties of the procession or the Traslacion.  

One of the aftermaths of the Feast of the Nazarene is still the bulk of trash that is left by the participants after the Traslacion.  If only the participants are devoted to environmentalism as they are devoted to their devotion to the Black Nazarene, the Poon will be greatly pleased with them.