Fiestas
Each town in Catanduanes celebrates the so-called “fiesta” every year. Highlights in this occasion include town parade, vesper night and official ball, concelebrated mass for the public to honor the town’s patron saint and agro fair. The parade, which is usually participated in by the municipal employees and officials, local government units, barangay officials and different schools with their respective drum and bugle corps takes place in the town proper. Other events such as “perya” (game of chance using a coin in exchange for a prize) and “sitsiriya” (temporary stores that are built only during fiesta) are also popular.
Town |
Fiesta |
Patron Saint |
Bagamanoc |
June 12 |
St. Anthony of Padua |
Baras |
August 10 |
St. Lawrence the Martyr |
Bato |
June 24 |
St. John the Baptist |
Caramoran |
June 24 |
St. John the Baptist |
Gigmoto |
May 15 |
St. Isidore the Farmer |
Pandan |
July 31 |
St. Ignatius of Loyola |
Panganiban |
July 25 |
St. James the Greater |
San Andres |
November 30 |
St. Andrew the Apostle |
San Miguel |
May 8 |
St. Michael Archangel |
Viga |
August 15 |
Our Lady of the Assumption |
Virac |
December 8 |
Lady of Immaculate Conception |
Kagharong
24th of December, provincewide
This is a folk-religious activity depicting a Christmas tradition. The activity centers on the reenactment of the plight of Joseph and Mary in their search for a place to stay overnight in the town of Bethlehem. Reenactment is done through singing. When they are refused, they transfer to another house. The owner or Kagharong shakes the hands of the leader and hands over some donations.
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Kalbaryo
Holy Week, provincewide
This is staged in all parishes during the Season of Lent or Holy Week reenacting the passion of Christ, more particularly Agony in the Garden, Last Supper and Crucifixion during Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, respectively.
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Christmas Cheers
This is an annual yuletide festivity in Virac which was started in 1985 to cheer-up a then typhoon-ravaged populace. The festival has now become a cultural tradition that provides a venue for the showcase of local artistic talents and wholesome entertainment for all age groups. As a nightly show from December 16 to December 30, except on the 24th and 25th, families flocked to Plaza Rizal to watch and enjoy the shows staged by their children, friends, neighbors, acquaintances and fellow residents. |
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Catandungan Festival
3rd week of October, Provincial Festival
This is celebrated every October commemorating the foundation anniversary of Catanduanes as an independent province from Albay. Among the featured special events are: surfing competition, pantomina street dance, beauty pageant, agricultural and trade fair, sportsfest, guided tours, and photo exhibits.
The focal event of the provincial celebration centers on the international and national Governor’s Surfing Cup which continually attracts surfers around the globe to test their water skills in the powerful waves of Puraran, known in the surfing world as the “Majestics”.
Adding color and pageantry to the festivities is the “Pantomina Catanduanes” streetdance competition. Pantomina is a dance widely popular in every town of the island. The dance imitates the courtship movements of the rooster and the hen, to the music played for the dance or the song usually sang during the dance performance. Catanduanes version of pantomina shows the ardent pursuit by a lover of his beloved who demurely refuses at first but surrenders in the end. Bringing the dance to the streets envisions to popularize the dance especially to the youth and insure its continuity as a cultural tradition and to develop a sense of identity and belonging among Catandunganons through dance forms.
FESTIVALS
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