The Carozzas And My Childhood

If there is something that I would not want to miss this Holy Week is the procession of life sized religious icons in my hometown. Last year, I did not missed it even though we did not visit my province. This year, my toy is telling me that I would have fun taking photos of the event. Oh.. can you just imagine 40 or more floats adorned with beautiful flowers with life sized icons, depicting the life of Jesus. Isn’t that super grand? Oh my I just can’t keep my excitement for this event. Each of this float has 2 or more figures, the procession are participated by families, old families of the town. This is quite a tradition for carozza or float owners. My father side owns one, and they have been participating in the event for more than 50 years now. Last 2007 though, they say goodbye and put to rest the antique carozza and bought a new one that could accommodate more figures. The float depicts the praying of Jesus at the garden and some apostles sleeping.. I even made the fake stones on the carozza last 2007. A trip down to memory lane brought me back during the time when we can only buy Sampaguita for decorations. The smell of Sampaguita now lingers in my mind. Our summer revolves around that event. The excitement of going through towns to look for the cheapest and most abundant Sampaguita. The hardship of lining each Sampaguita in a stick made from coconut leaves. And weeks before that, the making of the sticks from the leaves of the coconut. As I am typing this, I can almost see the green stains in my hands from making the stick. Ah, those were the times. Now, no one is using Sampaguita as float decorations, they are more attracted with roses, mums and even orchids. The carozza are now are bigger, flowers are prettier, but to me, it was back then when the culture is at its richest. And since I don’t have a DSLR then, I might just settle for the bigger carozzas..