Easter customs

Easter Salubong explained (from the GMA news.)

The ritual recreates the imagined first meeting of Jesus and Mary after the resurrection.

As per tradition, it begins with two separate processions, where images of the Mater Dolorosa and the Resurrected Christ are carried from opposite ends.

“The womenfolk bring the statue of the Blessed Mother, covered in a black veil [called a lambong, a veil of mourning]. The menfolk carry the statue of the Resurrected Christ,” said Ronald Subida, an organizer of the Salubong in Poblacion, Makati.

Eventually, the two processions will meet at a middle point, during which an angel will lift the black veil from the face of the image of the Blessed Mother. The angel is played by a young girl from the community, and is typically suspended mid-air from inside a giant paper flower.

At the precise moment that the veil is lifted, the Hallelujah Chorus is played, and celebration ensues. In some places, such as in Poblacion, there are even fireworks. Usually, the event continues to an Easter morning mass.