Water festivals: Celebration of faith, culture and life

During my younger years back in Grace Park, Caloocan City where my family resided for a couple of years, I witnessed several instances every 24th of June people dousing water to each other. It was in celebration to commemorate the feast of Saint John the Baptist.

Another city that is known to observe such festive religious celebration is San Juan City in Manila where it is called Wattah Wattah Festival. In Cavite City, they named it Regada Festival. And in some towns of Bohol and Cebu, beaches are swarmed with residents also to celebrate such occasion.

Like many Filipino fiestas, water festival is deeply connected with faith and religion. Through the years, it has captured the hearts and attention not only of local residents but for visitors from other parts of the Philippines because of its merrymaking aspect.

But mainly it is the feast of St. John the Baptist who baptized Jesus. To recreate the saint's act he was most known for, San Juan residents revel in basaan, splashing passersby with water.  Devotees and residents believe that getting wet during the basaan brings blessings, and it is antisocial to be irate when doused. Pedestrians and vehicles with open windows are favorite targets.

It has become an annual celebration that has elevated from a religious ritual to something socio-cultural where people have such a unique way of celebrating it.

Water is an essential element of the celebration. For the revelers, water is life and a blessing. Life itself is a blessing. Water is for cleansing and renewal. The essence seems to be blurred. The line of festivity has become drawn so heavily making the central point reached to triviality. For our young, a renewal of orientation and values is the call.

Beyond the merrymaking which  to some degree becomes annoying to some, the very heart of the celebration is the renewal of faith, renewal of life. It is my fervent hope that every June 24, apart from the celebration is the recognition of one's great contribution to our faith for God had performed a miracle and brought Saint John into the world for a special purpose! He turned many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He prepared the people for the Lord.

God had set John apart for a special mission. He was to preach about repentance and to baptize people in water. He was also to preach about the Kingdom of God and prepare the people for the Messiah's coming. This is the message that has been overshadowed by the earthly merrymaking which calls for refocusing.

That is exactly what Saint John the Baptist did. Instead of serving at the temple as a priest, he dressed in a camel's hair garment and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). He told the crowds that came to see him that they needed to repent and that the Kingdom of God was at hand (verses 1-2). He preached the same message as Jesus Christ the Messiah (Mark 1:14-15) and prepared the way for Him (Matthew 3:3).

Encountering similar scenario this time would perhaps be highly regarded as a ridiculous spectacle when somebody is announcing the looming Judgment Day. But the core of the message is the same-every day is supposed to be always a preparation for our final destination. Every day should be spent for the goodness of others, for worthwhile undertakings - and not for transitory, earthly matters.

We may have gained richness and fame in this world but have not increased our credits for access to final destination.