I do not understand why Filipinos in the Philippines celebrate Thanksgiving Day in America.
Did English pilgrims also come to the Philippines aboard the Mayflower?
I've never heard of this.
However, I know that Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, landed in the Philippines, and he was greeted by Lapu-Lapu, and he killed him. He chopped the explorer's head off. He only lived in the islands for less than a month after his arrival.
But why would Filipinos in the Philippines celebrate Thanksgiving Day anyway? There were no pilgrims who came over and celebrated their first harvest. There were no groups of Wamponaog who came for dinner.
Well, according to them, it is because the United States of America ruled the Philippines for 48 years.
But still, the Philippines isn't America. Why would we practice another country's federal holiday?
Japan occupied the Philippines for three years, and I haven't heard or celebrated a holiday that's exclusively celebrated in Japan—maybe the emperor's birthday, which is a public holiday. Or what about Golden Week, which is celebrated from the end of April to the first week of May annually?
Spain conquered the Philippines for 120 years. I did not remember celebrating Fiesta Nacional de España in October or any other national holidays only celebrated in Spain.
In mid-2000, the boy learned about Lapu-Lapu through undefined. He always wondered why there is no national holiday for Lapu-Lapu, whom he really believed was a hero.
Filipinos have a colonial mentality, and it doesn't apply to only speaking a foreign language fluently or preferring to buy imported goods. Now I know that this also applies to federal holidays.
Some people I know are even proud to share on social media that their children speak fluent English and barely know the Visayan language. They share a celebratory post when these kids learn a few Visayan words or more. Well, one thing that is very peculiar is that these people are living in the Philippines and haven't lived outside of it.
Come on! You guys should be ashamed of yourselves. Where is your patriotism? And these parents don't know that children who speak more than one language are smarter. That was what my children's teachers told me when they were in kindergarten and first grade. In fact, they encouraged me to keep Visayan language at home.
Honestly, that really made me proud of myself. My children speak, write, and understand a Filipino language when most, if not all, of their lives were spent in America. Only the mister and I exposed them to the language, but we succeeded.
Christopher Columbus explored America and spread Christianity. Along with that, he also used violence, brutality, and enslaved inhabitants. He forced conversion to Christianity on Native Americans. He sold them like they were his properties.
What kind of a Christian was he? He was a fake!
I just wish that Filipinos back home would celebrate our Philippine traditional holidays because they are ours, and we know their history.
Note: Republic Act No 114040, signed last June 29, 2018 by President Rodrigo Duterte, states that April 27 is Lapu-Lapu Day, a special working public holiday throughout the country and a special nonworking holiday in the city of Lau-Lapu, Province of Cebu, to commemorate the victory of Lapu-Lapu and his men over the Spaniards led by Ferdinand Magellan in the historic battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521.
