The First Wedding on COVID-19 Era

Weddings are special days that everyone is happy in both parties. But here in our village everyone will participate (just like what I have said in my previous article) from preparation until the occasion is done. They shower their love to the newly wed.

But because of this COVID-19 outbreak, occasions were stopped. Graduating students before didn't experience to march at the stage to receive their diplomas. Set weddings were already impeded because it was one safety protocol to contain the spread of virus.

From a safe locality, the municipality became the center of UK-variant which caused panic to the locals. Not until the said couple- variant had surfaced to expose everything, that their coming home from the UK had nothing to do with the outbreak of the new virus. Then at a split second, the chaos had suddenly stopped.

As the days go by, this virus is already becoming a normal thing. Everyone just had to be mindful and observe protocols when going out on their own houses.

This wedding took place and as I have observed, protocols were broken. The big calvary church in our village were packed with both the villagers and visitors. Private cars were lined up beside the roads. Social distancing was not observed. It was the same situation during the pre-pandemic era.

I hadn't attended the ceremony physically because I went for a check-up in town. But looking at the posted pictures on social media, you can tell it.

At the reception, when everyone was lined up to get food for lunch it was very hot. No more bark of bananas used to serve foods these days but were packed in a plastic cellophanes and paper plates.

While people were still lined up, the bridal car arrived. The reception was on the main road, thus the people had to make way for the car to pass. The bridal car was followed by a fire truck which was sounding its siren. Yes, the couples are firefighters. Both of them. We were trying to get a glimpse of them on the bridal car but the bridesmaids were the ones riding it. 4 or 5 of the grooms men in their uniform were also sitted at the fire truck. So I've thought, maybe there's another car. But as the car and truck is slowly advancing because of the pack of crowds lined up, we saw the groom and bride holding on to the rails of both sides at the back of the truck. The crowd cheered and applauded as they pass through.

Another line was then created after the couple were finally sitted and settled at their table. The people already begun to go and congratulate them with their enveloped gifts. Because it was too hot, and the line of people who are sending their gifts were tightly packed I didn't go yet. Me and my daughter get foods first. My eldest can get his own food independently while I had to leave my youngest with their father because of the heat of the sun and the crowd was unimaginable.

After lunch, that I was only able to go and personally congratulate the newly weds with my envelope. In our place, almost everyone show their love through giving gifts, mostly cash. That's why everyone had to keep some amount intended for the envelope for the upcoming wedding. And as for me, I am ashamed to just go and get food if I know we were lacking and we really don't have any money for that purpose. It takes some convincing before I will be able to go, that is if my husband went to help.

Due to the huge number of visitors who came and the villagers who went to give their gifts that "tokens" ran out. Neither my parents nor me weren't able to have one.

My sister, on the other hand was busy with helping with the food committee and not until nearly 3pm that she was able to come at their house.

After congratulating the newly weds and wishing them a beautiful future family, me and my kids watched a little of the traditional dance called "pattong-sagni and "bogibogi" we then went home at my sisters house.

Pattong and sagni was the traditional dance of the Igorots but only performed during traditional rites of a village like in town proper. It was men playing the "gangsa" or gong at a distinct vibrant rythm that everyone, most especially women can dance the sagni. However, in our village it was performed during occasions like weddings, village fiesta, and traditional rites like the time when the village renew their peacepack with other villages. Bogibogi, on the other hand was also played with the gangsa but at a different rythm. This was a courtship dance where the man is like chasing the woman but the woman won't just be catch at a single round. It was like taming her first before she is able to say yes.

But these days, this bogibogi dance was also modernized by the village people because they can do any move that would send the crowd to an uproar of laughter.

Side note: I didn't take any photo because my youngest is holding my phone everytime we go at the reception

Closing thoughts

This was not actually the first wedding after the COVID-19 outbreak because I have seen weddings posted on social media before this one. People are already violating safety protocols like social distancing. Nevertheless, we had to be mindful that when feeling unwell better to stay at home because nobody knows if the real covid virus is what one really is carrying.

Another wedding was also set this month and no doubt it will be of the same situation. What I can only say is take care of our own self because thime virus came to live with us and just like any virus, we had to live and fight it.

Sana lang the following days will gradually change to normal because we are violating safety protocols just as the same. Nagiging kawawa na ang mga bata na sana ay nag-eenjoy sa pag-aaral but now they were forced to do their modules because they already became tired and bored. Hopefully, places with low risk from the virus will be back to normal especially education.

Until then, no matter what occasion we are attending be mindful and careful.

Lead image from pixabay

6/3/21

z_graeden