The Ilongos Customs and Traditions

7/23/2019 The Ilongos Customs and Traditions

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THE ILONGOS CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS....

The Ilongos observed certan c!sto"s and tradtons abo!t brth# ba$ts"# co!rtsh$

and "arrage# death and b!ral. Co"$are these c!sto"s and tradtons %th those o&

the Ilocanos# Tagalogs# and 'colanos.

A'OUT THE 'IRTH.........

The co"ng o& a chld n an Ilongo &a"l( s !s!all( an "$ortant and %elco"e

event. Certan $reca!tons are &ollo%ed to ns!re the sa&e delver( o& the chld.

A"ong these are as &ollo%s)

*. The "e"bers o& the &a"l( see to t that all the %shes o& an e+$ectant "other

are granted. The( are care&!l not to ds$lace the "other &or &ear that she "ght gve

brth $re"at!rel(.

,. The "other s ca!toned not to "a-e &!n nor loo- at $eo$le %th certan $h(scal

handca$s beca!se ths "ght ha$$en to her !nborn chld.

. The "other/to/be s not allo%ed to eat &oods %th blac- color to avod havng a

chld %ho s dar- co"$le+oned.

0. The ne%l(/born chld sho!ld be roc-ed to and &or" so he %ll gro%/!$ to be brave.

1. The $lacenta sho!ld also be b!red together %th a boo- on "!sc arth"etc and

readngs so that the chld %ll be %ell versed n all these s!b2ects.

3. The $lacenta sho!ld be $laced nsde as earthen 2ar and b!red %th t. Ths %ll

c!rb the chld4s advent!ro!s s$rt. He %ll not go to &ar a%a( $laces and %ll s!rel(

ret!rn to hs ho"eto%n n hs old age.

5. 6hen a chld s beng delvered at the heght o& lghtenng and th!nder# t s

beleved that the chld %ll gro% !$ to be brave# co!rageo!s and ntellgent.

7. A chld born at da(brea- %ll be cool/headed $atent# hard%or-ng b!t %ll $osses

a %ea- s$rt and co%ardce.

8. A chld born bet%een seven or eght o4cloc- n the evenng %ll be brave and

do"neerng.

A'OUT THE 'A9TISM

'a$ts" s a catholc relgo!s rt!al observed b( the catholc $arents o& a ne% born


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chld. The &ollo%ng are so"e $ractces the Ilongos &ollo% n connecton %th

ba$ts"

*. The $arents select the god$arents ver( care&!ll( so that chld %ll ta-e a&ter the

good character trats o& the god$arents.

,. The $arents choose the $rest or the "nster to ba$t:e the chld.

. It s the $arental $rvlege to gve the na"e to ther chld.

0. The chld sho!ld be ba$t:ed a&ter the ;rst %ee- or not later than the thrd "onth

a&ter brth. I& a chld des %tho!t the bene;t o& ba$ts" hs so!l %ll go to $!rgator(.

Ths s accordng to catholc bele&.

1. 'a$ts"al $artes are held a&ter the ba$ts" to ens!re the chld4s s!ccess n an(

&!t!re !nderta-ng.

3. It s co""on $ractce b( god$arents to gve a certan a"o!nt o& "one( to the

chld &or hs ;nancal sec!rt(. The "one( "!st ether be nvested n b!sness or

s$ent &or the chld4s %el&are.

5. The $arents and god$arents o& the chld develo$ an al"ost brotherl( relatonsh$.

The( &ondl( call each other as co"$adre and co"adre.

A'OUT THE COURTSHI9......

The "an co!rt the grl o& hs choce b( vstng her at ho"e and sendng love letter.6hen the grl acce$ts the "an. the( beca"e engaged. 'e&ore ther "arrage# the

"an has to observe the $abagbat and the $aregalo. The $abagt re&ers to re

servt!de o& the "an s the ho!se o& the grl %hle the $aregalo s the &or"al

anno!nce"ent b( the $arents o& the ntenton o& ther son to "arr( ther da!ghter.

On ths occason# the bo(4s $arents brng &ood and drn-s %hle both $artes are

"a-ng arrange"ents &or the co"ng %eddng. I& the "an s acce$ted b( the grl4s

$arents# a do%r( s agreed !$on. The "an s also re

$ror to the %eddng da(. The behavor o& the "an s care&!ll( observed %hle

renderng servce to the grl4s &a"l(.

A'OUT THE MARRIAGE......

The "arrage s sole"n:ed b( a "nster o& the ch!rch or b( the 2!stce o& the

$eace co!rt. On the eve o& the %eddng da(# a dance s held at the ho!se o& the

brde/to/be. The e+$enses &or the %eddng dress# ch!rch rtes and %eddng

rece$ton are sho!ldered b( the groo" and hs &a"l(. A&ter the %eddng# the

"arred co!$le -ss the hands o& the elders to receve ther blessngs. The %eddng


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cere"on( s later &ollo%ed b( the %eddng $art(. The $arents and vstors $resents

s!ch as &!rnt!re# !tensls# dshes# and beddngs to the ne%l(%eds. D!rng the

$art(# the brde and the brdegroo" are as-ed to dance on the "at. 6hle dancng#

the g!est thro% "one( to the brde and groo". The "one( the co!$le $c-s !$

serves as addtonal ;ts. A&ter the %eddng# so"e $arents allo% the ne%l(%eds to

sta( %th the" !ntl the( are able to save and stand on ther o%n.

A'OUT THE DEATH AND 'URIAL.......

The death and b!ral o& a $erson s a co""!nt( a=ar. Relatves and &rends o=er

hel$ to the relatves o& the dead $erson n the &or" o& "one( and servce. >rends

and relatves attend the %a-e and o=er $ra(ers &or the dead "an4s so!l. D!rng the

%a-e# the &a"l( re&rans &ro" bathng and s%ee$ng the ?oor &or &ear that another

$erson %ll de. The &a"l( %ears lac- &or one (ear as a sgn o& "o!rnng. The &a"l(

and &rends o& the deceases acco"$an( the dead d!rng the &!neral. So"e carr( the

co@n %hle others sta( behnd to $re$are &ood. A&ter the b!ral# the &a"l( nvtes

those %ho 2oned the &!neral $arta-e o& &oods then $re$ared. A&ter the b!ral the

&a"l( o=ers $ra(ers to the dead or a nne/da( novena. The host $rovded a bg

&east on the thrd and nnth da( o& novena. Ths s a catholc bele&s.

SU9ERSTITIOUS 'ELIE>S.......

The Ilongos are also n?!enced b( "an( s!$erstto!s bele&s as &ollo%s)

*. 'ananas sho!ld be $lanted a&ter eatng a &!ll "eal so that the &r!ts %ll beco"e

bg and &!ll.

,. The( o=er $ra(ers to the sant to gve the" ran a&ter the $ra(ers# the "age s

bro!ght to the beach and d$$ed n the %ater.

. 'e&ore the( harvest cro$s n the &ar" the( o=er &oods and $ra(er.

'ELIE>S RELATED TO HOUSE 'UILDING.

*. It s a bad l!c- &or a ho!se to have * $ost.

,. Stars o& ho!ses sho!ld &ace the east to brng n good l!c-.

. Move nto a ne% ether on a 6ednesda( or Sat!rda(.

0. 'rng ;rst salt# rce be&ore "ovng ntothe ho!se.

THE ILONGOS............


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The Ilongos o& Ilolo and so"e $rovnce o& 6est sa(as lve n ho!ses "ade o&

%ood# n$a# cogon or cocon!t leaves. Sa%al or s$lt ba"boos s !sed &or ther %alls.

The ?oors are "ade o& nch/%de s$lt ba"boos naled to bgger c!t ba"boos.

Ilongos are ver( hos$table# the( al%a(s $rovde &or ther g!est co"&ort and ease at

ther o%n e+$enses. The( also ver( gentle n ther %a(s that ther

e"brodered desgns on robes o& $rest and chldren4s %ear.

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The Ilongos Customs and Traditions