Mano po

Source

https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/disney-pixars-float-artist-bobby-rubio-gives-filipino-mano-po-honors-to-medical-frontliners/

Image by Bobby Rubios

Has anyone ever took your hand and put it in their head?

It's a common gesture here in the Philippines but only the younger Filipinos do it to in respect to the older ones.

Who does it?

Kids to parents and Aunties/Uncles

We trained our kids to do it whenever they come home form school or we come home from work. But some don't encourage this, they prefer a kiss on the cheek instead.

Grandkids to grandparents

Some kids are lucky enough to have their grandparents, and my kids are the most lucky because they had my mother and my husband's parents still. Also, bothe love them so mucha nd care for them.

Daughter/son in law to parent in laws

I personally do this yo my parent in laws. It's a form of respect and they say "santo" whenever I and my kids do it. Santo is saint in english word but I don't get thr point why they say it when we mano with them.

Child to Godfather/Godmother

Be it by baptism or in wedding, but I and my kdis don't have godparents thru baptism, it's hust not on our practice but I do have a godmother who is close to us and we do mano with her every time I see her. We even call her mama, and her husband, papa but he don't want us yo mano with him and we respect it

Anyway, here is my husband's story about mano.

On Czak's first day of school, a co- parent approached him as if she knew him and said "kuya", and took his hand and made mano. She left my husband speechless (but not offended) and when I aksed him about it, he didn't know the woman and cannot remember where he might have met her.

The following day, she did it again whenever they meet in school. I asked him whether she could be his godchild from a wedding he witnessed, and says he knows who the bride and groom were. And we don't have the courage to ask the girl why she does it. Or she must have mistaken my husband for someone else.

My husband don't like it because he feels like he was too old but I told him the good side was that she respects him and that she mean good.

Earlier today, we took our son to school, and Czak was good in his chair already. He wanted to saty for a bit then I scare him "if we don't go soon, she might see you and mano again" then off he went with me. And I laughed because he looks so funny.

Have you had a similar situation with my husband?