The Philippines in general has the strongest Christian influence in Asia. Majority of Filipinos are Catholics and most are fanatically involved. Lives of Filipinos evolve on their religious beliefs. They believe that God and its saints are the ones responsible for what they are and how they live. This is evident in their celebrations of town fiestas and festivals every year.
Pahiyas is one example that brings out the fanatic practices of the Filipinos wherein a particular saint is believed to nourish a town’s harvest by offering it a colorful festival related to the town’s main source of living. Fruits, rice, vegetables or any product related to their livelihood are lavishly decorated on to their houses. Bizarre, but the festivity transforms the whole town into an explicit sight of creativity from the colors and textures of natural ornaments.
The most popular custom that regards the strong influence of Christianism to the Filipinos is the yearly commemoration of holy week, which features the sufferings and death of Christ. Several activities within the month of celebration are performed including the recital of passion, reenactment of Jesus sufferings and death (practiced on a real cross, with real nails pounded on their hands and even the make up that resembles the looks of the Christ), processions and more prayings. This unusual practice made people around the globe wonder and smile, but the significance it brings to the lives of every Filipino in reuniting their families and comemorating their traditions is enough for the world to understand. Such cultural traits they inherited from the west that Filipinos brought it to its own uniqueness.
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