Pabasa - March 13 (A family tradition)

Pabasa:  Sabi ng Wikifilipino ang  Pabasa ay ang pag awit o pagbasa ng mga deboto sa mahabang pasyon ni Hesukristo, Ang nasabing pasyon na nasa anyong patula ay hango sa Bibliya ng mga Katoliko Romano.



March 13 is our family's yearly Pabasa.  It is a family tradition that I grew up with. I don't know exactly when was this tradition strated in our family,  I haven't asked my mother, or may be I did?? .. I can blurry recall that it was started after my mother's parents died (d p ako tao nun) ...(baka naman sarili ko lang nagkwento nito) .....


Our Pabasa starts at 2:00PM then ends at around 8:00 AM to 9:00AM of the following day.  Long hours of singing without sleep especially at the age of those lolos and lolas is no joke.  They used to asked for coffee to keep them awake and salabat for their throat and voice.  I hope there is someone from every "magbabasa"'s (that's how we call them) family who will  inherit their passion for pasyon reading.  Or ipamana nila sa kahit sino na hilig ang pagpapasyon plus the original tune. Original tune is harder, the sudden flats and sharps plus the kulot voice owhmaygad ....  I can't sing it even in my mind haha


Flashback:  During my youngers years, for me Pabasa is more of a family reunion :)  Me being the youngest was probably the happiest member of our clan every pabasa, lotsa "pasalubong haha. After graduating from high school I never had a chance to go home during our Pabasa (Every 13th of March).  I missed the feeling of hearing - that for me during that time is out of this world tone while trying to catch some sleep or else I will surely be dizzy the following day and probably fall in to sleep during class.


Given the chance, For sure it would be totally different now.  I can join the whole family and the magbabasa the whole night.  No more pasalubong from titos; titas and cousins although I would still probably ask for kasag from Macalelon and Tamales from Gumaca :). More picture takings....... and ....  sitting pretty no more, na ako this time remember nene pa ako nun :) so I was exempted from every tasks .... and who knows may be I can finally learn how to reach those sharps; flats and kulot notes of traditional pasyon :) (dream on)


Pabasa is a lifetime commitment of every generation of our clan. Tradition from one generation to the next generation and to the never ending next  .......

And for this year's Pabasa ... again... I'll sing with my clan ang magbabasa in spirit  ........... (with all those # and b notes) haha