SEPTEMBER heralds the festive months for the Kapampangans as we gear up for folk festivals and religious rituals held during the latter part of our year. Kapampangan people are renowned for, among others, their cuisine and faith, or some would say, religiosity as a people, and it is interesting to note how in our celebrations, folk and religious alike, our faith is fused to our food.
This coming week our province will once again pay homage to our dear patroness, Virgen delos Remedios, with the landmark observance of the 60th anniversary of the Virgin’s Canonical Coronation on September 8 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in our city.
As part of the celebration this year, the fondly called Dagis Pisamban community on Facebook teamed up with our iconic heritage culinary expert tita Lilian Lising Borromeo recently launched the specially concocted “panecillos de la Virgen de los Remedios”, in following similar traditions on how our pan de San Nicolas or Sanikulas cookies are made.
For our patroness’s very own panecillos, no less that Santa Ana Parish Priest Reverend Father Nolasco Fernandez blessed the ingredients and mold used for the crafting of the VDLR cookies last August 27 at the Santa Ana Parish Church. Santa Ana Tourism Officer Architect Joseph Lideson Mallari shares that the ceremony was attended by the administrators of the Dagis Pisamban Kapampangan FB group which thought of this special gift for our provincial patroness.
Prayers form an integral part in the mixing and baking of the panecillos, which will then be blessed before being given to the sick devout. It is hoped, and believed, that through these specially crafted cookies, the intercession of the Virgen Mary will be invoked by the faithful in curing their illnesses.
Significantly, the distribution of the VDLR panecillos after the ceremonies on September 8 breathes life to the “lamak” tradition or our crusade for charity. For this year’s commemoration, the Archdiocese of San Fernando has moved the event’s time from the usual afternoons to very early in the morning, around 4am. The Kapampangan devout can all look forward to a moving experience which also empowers our faith as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Canonical Coronation of the Virgen De Los Remedios.
Interestingly, 50 years ago, Alfredo Roces wrote about the tradition of distributing pan de San Nicolas during Christmas time after the mass on the feast day of San Nicolas every December 6 in Arayat, Pampanga. Through the years, I can say that our food really helps in promoting and propagating our faith.