Lenten season is now in town! During Holy Week, we have this “tradition” or “practice” on every food that we eat. There are dos and don’ts even on Holy Week! There are so many things to consider during this season.
What is Lenten Season or Holy Week?
Lent or also known as Quadragesima in Latin is 40 days leading to Holy Week – Holy Thursday or the last Thursday, to Good Friday, and the last is to the Easter Sunday. It is the time of the year when Christians contemplate Jesus’ sacrifices made for them and examine their sins. A large number of Christians are reflecting on their sins and spend the time of the Lent in confession. It is indeed one of the significant events for some Christians every year.
The Holy Week marks the week leading up to Easter or the last week of the Christian’s Lent season. Christians describe it as a journey of sorts until the final destination. It begins on a Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday means Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem. Holy Wednesday mark as into the darkness. It symbolizes Jesus’ abandonment by his disciples, moreover, it anticipates the tragedy and anguish of Good Friday. Maundy Thursday marks the Last Supper shares with Jesus and His disciples, the betrayal of one of His disciples, and Jesus’ arrest at the Gethsemane Garden. The Good Friday marks Jesus’ agony on the cross. It commemorates the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate sentenced him to death, torture, crucifixion, and Jesus' burial. This was called the “good” Friday in the sense of the word ‘good’ connoting ‘holy’ or ‘pious’ or Holy Friday; for Christians, it is the most somber day as the death and burial of Jesus is remembered. Holy Saturday marks the visit to the tomb of Jesus. And the last part of the season is the joyous celebration of the first Eucharist of Easter.
The Lenten Season is about reflecting on and commemorating Jesus Christ's life and love for humanity. Some define that this season symbolizes heaven’s opening with the gif of eternal life to all.
What are the things to consider this Lenten Season?
During the Lenten season, there are many beliefs, practices, and traditions. One thing to consider during Lent is the food that you eat. There’s the food during lent that we need to avoid and also foods that we can able to eat.
Just for a quick background, these 40 days were also marked as the period of fast. People have a yearly practice and tradition of abstinence – another layer of Lenten fasting. Under the said tradition is a practice of avoiding meat. Catholics have something to sacrifice during this season. Here’s some food during lent that you have to avoid.
- Red meat (beef, pork, deer, ham, and other red meats)
- Desserts
- Alcohol
- Fast-food
Here are some alternatives that you might like to eat instead during this season:
- Kinds of seafood (salmon, shrimps, and other white fish)
- Veggie Pizza
- Salad
- Geek yogurt
It is one of the very important times for the population of Filipino Catholics. Customs and ceremonies are compressed in the Philippines during the Lent season within one week also known as Holy Week. Abstaining from eating meat is one of the most observed during this season by practicing self-discipline and participation in the penitence season.
On the other hand, Filipinos love to eat, for sure everybody else does! So, here are some of the most recommended Filipino food for the Lenten season. This Filipino menu for the Lenten season can give you an idea of this Holy Week.
It is a dish that originates from the northern part of the Philippines, Ilocos. This Ilocano dish has a unique flavor as it uses shrimp paste as one of the main recipes along with the vegetable ingredients. This is one Filipino menu for the Lenten season that you should include in your menu this season.
It is one of the most healthy and favorite go-to food this Lenten season that you should put on your list. Ginisang munggo is a vegetable soup with mung beans or must know as munggo, leafy green and perfect for the soup, “Dahon ng sili” or chili leave, and the shrimp that give the soup additional flavor. It is much better with chicharron but that can be easily excluded.
You can still enjoy every part of the Holy Week without eating red meat by having this flavorful meal. It is one of the best Filipino foods for the Lenten season that you may enjoy with your loved ones. This is not only providing different flavor combinations for Filipinos during Holy Week but also can give you satisfaction as an alternative to your cravings without breaking any customs.
The food that’ll make your Holy Week flavorful. It is a cooking technique from the southern part of the Philippines that results in sour flavors that you may compare to sinigang. Pinangat is traditional making broths from tomatoes, tamarind, santol, calamansi, and bilimbi. Fish and shrimp are pinangat’s most commonly used dish here.
Bitter melon or commonly known as ampalaya is a very recommendable Filipino menu this Lenten season. This is indeed an extremely healthy dish! This is one of the most common Filipino dishes that’s regularly served for everyday meals. It is one of the great breakfast meals that is preferred by some as it can awaken your system with its bitter yet delicious flavor.
This is an eggplant salad that is more of a snack than a meal. It deserves a spot on your menu this Holy Week. To make this eggplant salad, you will be needing eggplant (which should be grilled), fresh tomatoes, onion, vinegar, and bagoong alamang to add an extra kick to the flavor of the salad.
After a salad made with eggplant, let’s proceed to one of the yummiest original Filipino-made omelets. You can able to eat this for breakfast, lunch, to dinner. This is perfect with ketchup though, banana ketchup, or based on your taste preference. Cooking tortang talong requires toasting the eggplant first, removing the skin, and flattening it on the plate. It is usually cooked into a layer of scrambled eggs with salt and pepper (to taste), and aromatic ingredients such as garlic, tomatoes, and onions.
Aside from the dishes mentioned above, here are some Filipino menu for the Lenten season:
- Daing na Bangus
- Buttered Garlic Shrimp
- Lumpiang Sariwa
- Inihaw na Pusit
- Fish Sisig
- Rellenong Bangus
- Baked Tahong
- Ginataang Tilapia
- Inihaw na Tilapia
- Bulanglang
- Kangkong in Oyster Sauce
- Ginataang sitaw with crab
Aside from food, one thing that you should consider in your plans for the Holy week is the place to stay during the hot season and also perfect to stay this Holy Week.
One thing we should consider is when to spend aside from the Holy Week is the long weekend. One thing that is very recommendable to escape the hassle of check-in and checkout is to invest with the one that you might consider essential during travel times. Perhaps, you should consider Vista Residences’ ready for occupancy condo for sale in Brenthill in Baguio. The weather in Baguio is a good place for your vacation. This is a good investment as well if you’re looking for a place you can able to stay, chill, and enjoy with your loved ones. Aside from that, Baguio City is one of the top tourists destinations in the Philippines to visit every summer season. So that it is recommendable to invest now or perhaps get the opportunity to avail of the preselling condo for sale of Vista Residences in the breathtaking areas in Pinehill and Canyon Hill in Baguio City.
Aside from Baguio, if you want a much shorter travel time from the City of Dreams (Manila), there’s the nearest Baguio vibe near the city, Tagaytay. Perfect place to chill this summer season for its cold temperature, good food, and perfect weather to chill this short break.
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Vista Residences is the condominium arm of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. that offers ready for occupancy and pre-selling condominium projects in Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Ortigas, Baguio, Cebu, and CDO that are strategically located within major cities, in close proximity to premium universities, transit-oriented locations, and developed business districts.
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