Begnas Festival is one of the prides of Sagada, Mtn Province, Philippines.
BEGNAS FESTIVAL
Begnas is a celebration commemorating a good harvest season. It is to ensure the productivity of good crops comes for the entire year. Pigs, dogs, and chickens would be slaughtered for the feast. Yes, dogs! I have a sinking feeling this may offend some individual but it is a tradition, none the less. I personally strongly oppose to it. But I'm here merely ti observe.
Held every 2nd day of November.
Everyone is welcome to join the feast, tourists or otherwise. The whole community including other nearby villagers and visitors were warmly invited to join the feast. Locals gather in their customary get-ups, play their traditional musical instruments, and happily performed their cultural dance.
A Bit of History
Historically, during Begnas, females are requested to cook for the elders and dine separately from the men.
These elderly women were preparing their offertory food.
Dap-Ay
The ritual is held in a Dap-ay. It is a circular gathering place where stones are positioned on the ground in which it symbolizes the civil conflict among indigenous tribes in Sagada. Each stone represents a beheaded head or skull (from an opposing village) being buried underneath, connoting one's tribe victory during a particular civil war. The head denotes a seed of the spirit.
These men in warrior get-ups head for the cold pond to swim. Part of the festivities.
Preserving An Old Tradition
Many observers or on-lookers of the tradition may find the slaughtering of dogs deeply disturbing. I myself personally is saddened by this on-going tradition. Although dogs are just one of the many livestock being slaughtered at these feasts. Pigs and chickens are also quite common. I do believe in giving respect to everyone's culture and traditions, how shocking it might be.
slaughtering a dog for the feast
