 | This article has an unclear citation style.(May 2017) |
| Nativity of Saint John the Baptist | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Wattah Wattah Festival |
| Also called | Basaan Festival |
| Observed by | Filipinos |
| Significance | Feast of St. John the Baptist |
| Date | 24 June |
| Next time | 24 June 2022 |
| Frequency | Annual |
Wattah Wattah Festival or Basaan Festival (literally: dousing of water) is the feast of St. John the Baptist, patron saint of San Juan, Metro Manila, and of many other communities throughout the Philippines, held every 24 June.
Filipinos commemorate the birth of Saint John, who cleansed and prepared the people for the coming of Jesus Christ by baptizing them with water. Along with the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist’s birthday is the only one celebrated; most other saints are remembered on the day of their death or some other important date.
Matthew 3:11 quotes Saint John as saying:
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire."
Children and grown-ups alike line up the streets and generously douse passersby or unsuspecting commuters and visitors with water, with the traditional “basaan” or "buhusan" (dousing of water)- supposedly to remind them of their baptism. They also enjoy engaging in water wars and other wet games using dippers, pails, hoses and even water pistols. Older persons my fill their ancient coconut shells with perfumed water to sprinkle on passersby. In rural areas, people take a swim at the beach, in a nearby river, or at a local spring, believing that a little exposure to water today, even just a sprinkle or splash, will bring God's blessings. This popular custom is practiced as they recall San Juan's life and mission. That is why in some places, passing buses, cars, and jeeps become the targets of water splashed and thrown about with reckless gusto.
Filipinos from different parts of the country celebrate this feast in various ways. Four of the most popular celebrations can be witnessed in Balayan, Batangas, Calumpit, Bulacan, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, Cavite City, Cavite and in San Juan, Metro Manila.
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher active in the area of Jordan River in the early 1st century AD. He is also known as John the Forerunner in Christianity, John the Immerser in some Baptist Christian traditions, and Prophet Yahya in Islam. He is sometimes alternatively referred to as John the Baptizer.
Metropolitan Manila, officially the National Capital Region, is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines. It is composed of 16 cities: the city of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, as well as the municipality of Pateros. The region encompasses an area of 619.57 square kilometers (239.22 sq mi) and a population of 13,484,462 as of 2020. It is the second most populous and the most densely populated region of the Philippines. It is also the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 5th most populous urban area in the world.
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 689,992 people.
Laguna, officially the Province of Laguna, is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is situated southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna hugs the southern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. As of the 2020 census, the province's total population is 3,382,193 . It is also currently the seventh richest province in the country.
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region.
Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia or Saint Lucy, was a Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches. She is one of eight women explicitly commemorated by Catholics in the Canon of the Mass. Her traditional feast day, known in Europe as Saint Lucy's Day, is observed by Western Christians on 13 December. Lucia of Syracuse was honored in the Middle Ages and remained a well-known saint in early modern England.
Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke states that John was born six months before Jesus; therefore, the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June, six months before Christmas according to the old Roman calculation. This feast day is one of the very few saints' days which commemorates the anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of the saint being honored.
Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite, is a 4th class component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people.
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Noveleta, officially the Municipality of Noveleta, formerly known as Tierra Alta during the Spanish colonial era, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,452 people.
The Nativity of John the Baptist is a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of John the Baptist. The Nativity of John the Baptist is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran churches. The sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke.
Our Lady of the Porta Vaga informally known as Our Lady of Porta Vaga is a Roman Catholic Marian title of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The Diocese of San Pablo is a Roman Catholic diocese which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. Its patron saint or titular is Saint Paul the Hermit, the only one in the world dedicated to him.
Numerous events and festivals are held annually in Metro Manila. They include:
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La Huerta is a barangay in the city of Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. It comprises a section of the old poblacion of Parañaque along the south bank of the Parañaque River by its mouth on the Manila Bay. The coastal village encompasses the area from Don Galo on the north, Santo Niño and Moonwalk on the east and San Dionisio on the south. A portion of Global Airport Business Park along C-5 Road Extension is also under the jurisdiction of La Huerta. It also extends west to the reclaimed area in Manila Bay and covers the northernmost section of Freedom Island in the Las Piñas–Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area. As of the 2015 census, it had a population of 9,569.
San Dionisio is an administrative division in southern Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a barangay at the southwestern edge of Parañaque and north of its border with Manuyo, Las Piñas. The barangay is centered on the westernmost section of Dr. Santos Avenue where it veers north and parallels Elpidio Quirino Avenue with De Leon Street and Aldana Avenue forming its boundaries with La Huerta and Manuyo Uno respectively. It extends to the east along the San Dionisio River-Villanueva Creek by barangay Moonwalk to the north and along Balong Creek by Manuyo Dos, Las Piñas to the south towards its border with San Isidro. San Dionisio includes a large swath of the C-5 Road South Extension properties in Parañaque including the Amvel Business Park, Avida Sucat and SM City Sucat sites, the Irasan Complex logistics hub, and as well as the area surrounding the Evacom Plaza. It also covers a significant portion of the reclaimed Freedom and Long Islands in the Las Piñas–Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.