Bohol Town Parades Lanterns In X’mas Festival
Residents from 22 barangays in Maribojoc town in Bohol province carried with them little lanterns and gathered at Rizal Plaza, Saturday evening to celebrate their first-ever Christmas Festival.
The lanterns in different colors and designs lit up the entire plaza.
Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr. said that the lanterns would symbolize a brighter future for the residents. The activity, he said, would also give hope to the town’s residents that despite the economic crisis they would be able to celebrate a bountiful Christmas.
The residents from the barangays also exhibited gigantic lanterns made out of indigenous materials.
Barangay Lagtangon’s lantern was an ordinary star created from a collection of different kinds of sea shells. Barangay Chairman Clarita Abecio said that the lantern reflects the kind of livelihood their barangay has.
But the Nativity lantern got the attention of many during the event. The Holy Family, instead of being in a manger, was placed in a boat. The lantern was from Barangay Poblacion where most of the residents are fishermen.
Christino Tatoy, the maker of the said lantern, said that it took him a month to finish the oversized Nativity lantern. The Holy Family was made out from roots of crops while the boat was assembled by putting together chopped pieces of a tree bark.
The Christmas Festival ended with a five-minute fireworks display.
With reports from ABS-CBN News Online
