PREGNANCY

The first stage in a life cycle is the state of pregnancy.  It begins with panaginaw (conception).  The symptoms are: dizziness, vomiting in the morning and extreme fondness of sour fruits.  Women who are conceiving are said to have extraordinary craving like wanting fruits that are not in season.  It is believed that the husband should give everything his conceiving wife is craving for or she will have a miscarriage (maalisan).

There is another belief that if a conceiving woman loves to eat fruits which are elongated like bananas, she is conceiving a male child. And when she loves to make herself beautiful, it is a female child.

The next stage is panagsikog.  The mother's stomach starts to swell  or to grow big.  If the mother's stomach is pointed, it is believed that she will have a boy.  If it is rounded, it will be a girl.  There are many dont's during this stage, like for example, the pregnant woman should avoid looking at ugly or deformed persons and things.  The baby might take after it.  Another is a woman should not drink cold beverages because water will accumulate in her womb (agdanum).  There are many prohibitions but all of these are just measures to protect both mother and child.

During the seventh month, the baby is then believed to have settled in the womb.  The partera, mangingilot or mammaltot (now being called as traditional midwife by the NSO) visits daily pregnant woman to massage her womb and fix the the baby in the right position so he would not be born a suni (breech).  It is also the partera who take charge at the time the mother delivers the baby.

During the last month of pregnancy, the mother prepares the things she will need like the baby's cloths, lampin, barikes (belt), cotton, alcohol, aceite de manzanilla and also blankets and the clothes she will wear after the delivery.

DELIVERY

When her labor pains begin, the expectant mother is made to walk around to ease childbirth.  The husband usually assists inside the delivery room but if he has a cowlick on his forehead, he should get out of the house.

The partera slaps the baby's buttocks as soon as he gets out of the mother's womb.  Then she bathes the baby and wraps him in diapers. That is after the umbilical cord has been cut.  Then the partera sees to it that the placenta is expelled from the mother's womb. The placenta is put in a new clay pot together with a brand new pencil and some papers like an editorial page  if the parents want the child to be a writer when he grows up or a test paper with a perfect score so that he will be intelligent.

The new mother if she is conscious will be given a concoction of a brewed ginger.  She is made to wear a barikes made of cloth or her belly so it will not sag.

The maladaga or the mew-born baby is fed first with the juice of crushed ampalaya leaves so he would vomit all the things he had taken in when he was still in the womb and also to prevent beri-beri.

A day after the delivery, the mother takes a bath ( head not to be shampooed) in warm water where subusob (sambong) leaves are boiled.  Then she puts two smooth coconut shells with warm water on her breasts and shakes them so that milk will flow from the breast of the mother.  She should eat viands with baggoong or else the flow of milk will stop and it will make the baby's navel swell also.

Most mothers in our town breastfeed their babies because commercial milk cannot be afforded..  Some, especially working mothers mix feed their babies.  Most babies and mothers wear barikes for a whole year.  For the baby., so he would not be prone to panagbubussog (colic) and for the mother, so she would not have a sagging belly.

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD

The infant learns to lie on his stomach during his third month (agpakleb), to sit on his buttocks on his 6^th or 7^th month.  He also learns to coo by then.  Then he learns to stand (agampasok), to step (agaddang), then walk (magna).

On his sixth month, his first tooth appears.  Normally, the first tooth appears on the lower gums.  If the first tooth appears on the upper gums, that is considered abnormal.  This phenomenon is called salikawkaw.  The mother and child should be magulgolan (shampooed with the blood of a chicken with yellow feet mixed with rice straw lye.) This ritual is said to prevent bad luck.

A child is weaned when he is about one year old or sooner if there is another child coming.  The mother does this by applying juice of ampalaya leaves on her breast or better she rubs red chili on her breast.  The bitter or spicy taste discourages the baby.

The baby then is given semi-solid food like segget (am), linugaw (porridge), or mashed potatoes or squash.

As soon as the baby knows how to pen for himself, he is left in the care of an older child or he is left alone to play with other children.

Some of the games played by children is balay-balay, linnemmengan (hide and seek), taksing (hitting bottle caps with a flat stone), lako-lako (play market), San Peter (patintero), shatung, tanggal - lata.

A child is send to kindergarten school when he is five or six years old, to Grade I when he is seven.

PUBERTY AND ADOLESCENCE

Adolescence in boys is characterized by a change in the voice. He is said to agtaraok (croak).  He is then called barito.  The girl is supposed to start her monthly period. When she does, she is now a balasitang.  Although most girls start menstruating at 12 or 13, there are those who start as early as 10 or even 9.

On the other hand, the boys are expected to  have been circumcised at 12.  He is usually circumcised by what we call as "tagbat system".  The who one does this uses a special bolo.  He will let the boy chew young guava leaves in which later to be used as a poultice for the wound.

It is during the adolescent period in which the children are given some kind of responsibility like for example pasturing the carabaos or gathering fodder.  The girls are expected to help in the preparation of food and caring for her younger brothers and sisters.

COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

It is during the adolescent period in which a boy starts courting.  Girls ands boys meet in school, barangay social dances, or in community organizations.  The boy usually courts a girl because of suron suron (tuksohan) among his peers.  He courts a girl by either sending a love letter via third party or if he has money, he will send it through the mails.  The letter usually written by an older person or copied from a book of love letters.  It is usually written in Tagalog.  There are those who write though in broken English.  The term for courtship is panagarem.

If a boy wants to get married, he must ask first the consent of his parents and relatives.  Then the parents believe that the particular girl may be the right and most ideal partner for their son, they would proceed with the suit.

They would now request the services of an albasia or albasiador usually a learned gentlemen well-versed in oral poetry.

Before the albasiador consents to an assignment, he would request the would-be groom's family to give him a few peso bills as sapsapo or bari-bari.  This fee is actually for drinks and cigarrettes presumably as an effective aperitif to hasten his eloquence to talk in a machine-gun fashion.

The albasiador then sets the date of danon (pamanhikan).   Ilocanos who are superstitious yet deeply religious believe in the miracles of numbers and dates.  For marriages, the 16^th of the month is ideal provided the new moon has started appearing in the western horizon.  Providentially, a full moon may be the best.

When the groom's  parents has agreed to the composition of the party for the danon, they would now proceed to the house of the would-be bride in their Sunday best, careful enough to have with the group some jugs of basi (sugarcane wine) as pasalubong for the girl's relative.

The party, of course, had to send feelers and emissaries that they would be going in one early evening for the danon.  Then everything is set and cleared, the party thus proceed ascending the staircase with precision and discipline that would certainly spell the finest of Ilocano courtesy and decorum.

After feverish exchange of amenities and hearty hand-shaking, the party are invited graciously to the sala.  The bride does not appear as she was told beforehand to hide inside her siled (rooms or quarters).

When the albasiador starts talking in his usual circumlocution and metaphoric expressions, a page or orderly now start distributing cupfuls of basi to the girl's parents in an effort to intoxicate the latter.  The couple would graciously accept the offer as a sign of good protocol.

When much water has passed beneath the bridge, so to say, it could be observed that the girl's relatives have been spell-bound with the superb convincing of the crafty albasiador who gives his all in his oratorical hocus-pocus.

"Abalayan", the girl's father would now reply, "wait, we'll call my daughter so you can hear her verdict!"  He calls for the would be bride.  She seats herself between her parents.  When she finally consents to the marriage proposal there is much rejoicing from both parties.

If there are no questions or conflicts, both parties now arrange for the wedding feast where both parties would necessarily spend: two-thirds to be shouldered by the would-be groom and one-third for the would-be bride.  The preparations include one carabao (if the would-be groom belongs to a wealthy family), at least five heads of pigs weighing at least 100 kgs. A piece, several heads of chickens, goats, pigs for the letson, at least two cavans of cleaned rice and ingredients.

Next issue to be discussed and resolved by both parties is the sab-ong (dowry) which usually consist of a piece of riceland, a work animal (carabao or cow), a new house made of bamboo, cogon, and lumber; some jewelry, and the amount of the namasusuan.

The namasusuan which obviously is the compensation of the bride's mother who gave birth, raised, and weaned the girl usually mounting to some P5,000.00; and also the bridal gown to be shouldered by the groom's family.

Both parties should now agree to a fixed date for the wedding after completing all requirements at the local civil registrar's office and parish rectory office.

Ilocanos are, horoscopically inclined so that both parties consult a current Bristol, a calendar wherein names of saints, bishops, priests, and Christian luminaries appear.

Ideal dates for a happy and bountiful marriage are the 16^th, 22^nd, 24^th, and 28^th of any month excepting February provided the date coincides with a full moon or on  before a full moon.

At least three days before the wedding, the house of the bride is necessarily spruced up or given face-lifting.  A ramada or pala-pala (shaded area) somewhere in a wide yard be constructed.  This will become the dancing pavilion where some ceremonies incidental to the wedding are performed.

A make-shift kitchen is also prepared and all utensils will have to be borrowed including long tables from neighbors and friends.  Sponsors will have to be talked to, an invitation card should be printed, if possible, and the bridal car should be borrowed or rented from an affluent friend or relative.

Young boys and girls within the barangay and adjacent barangays are invited to attend the dance the evening before the wedding.  The dance has some literary-musical numbers to make the affair lively as it is common practice for the host to extend dancing until the wee hours of the morning when the groom and bride dress up for the morning mass.

As soon as the couple arrive from the church, they ascend the house holding a lighted candle.  They should ascend the stairs at the same time.  If the bride steps first, the groom would be a hen-pecked husband.  Likewise the candles should not die.  If for example the candle of the groom was blown out by a breeze, he will die first.  The couple kneel before an improvised altar at the sala or living room where a choir of old women sing Te Deum, Laudamus and Salve Regina.

Lunch usually starts at ten in the morning and continues until three o'clock in the afternoon depending on the number of visitors.

Weddings in Santa Lucia practices a tagnawa (bayanihan) spirit-relatives and friends help with the expectations that when their turn come too, the newly wed couples will respond in reciprocity.

On the following night, the couple now proceed to the house of the groom for the allatiw, probably as variation of the whole marriage proceeding.

Above the gateway leading to the yard or groom's house is a suspended baki or woven bamboo basket full of wooden ashes.  Just as the couple and members of the entourage rush in, a boy assigned to spill the ashes cuts off the cord or rope to spill the powdery contents of the baki.

Another night of dancing goes up to morning when everybody seems to be tired and sleepy that the following morning the host will serve breakfast before the couple goes back to the bride's house.  In the previous night, a parwad was to be held where friends and relatives of the newly weds pin paper bills on the suit and gown of both.  The money to be collected is intended as initial savings of the newly weds so they will cope with life much easier.

If the groom could not afford the preparations and the dowry that the girl's parents are asking, the only alternative is elopement, but this is avoided if possible because of delicadesa.

DEATH PRACTICES AND BELIEFS

Death is the last stage in the life cycle.  There are lots of beliefs connected with death.  Seeing a black butterfly means that a relative may or has died.  Or a salaksak (kingfisher) passes over your house uttering a mournful cry, one of the residents in that house will die.  Dreaming that one of your teeth especially a molar tooth means that a relative may or has died.  To counter this, you must bite a wooden post or a tree.  Death at sunrise or moonrise means a bright future for the bereaved family.

PREPARING THE BODY

The corpse is usually washed in the middle of the house.  Brewed guava (sometimes with tamarind leaves) leaves are used in the washing.  Then the corpse is dressed with his favorite clothes.  If a child under 7 years dies, she is dressed in a white clothes and garlands of paper flowers  are placed on her brow.  In carrying the corpse to the coffin, one should (exactly) not touch the neck so that the visitors will not get dizzy.  The corpse should exactly fit the coffin because a larger one will jinx somebody else's death.  Vinegar or sometimes a basin of water is place under the coffin is considered to have embalming effect.

Provisions are given to the deceased such as money in the form of coins.  The money is supposedly the fare for crossing the river (sometimes called the Jordan) before reaching the final destination of after life.  If the deceased has no money, the ferryman will deny crossing of the river which is unswimmable on account of its width and depth but may let him ride after constant pleading and waiting.  Besides the coins, extra clothes, shoes, slippers, a needle, a candle as light, and a blanket are placed inside the coffin.

Several measures are prepared for the return of the dead person's spirit after three days.  The slippers or shoes should be removed or unshod in order to insure a noiseless visit.  You will know if the deceased is visiting because you can smell either his favorite perfume, pomade or you can smell the balsamo.

DURING THE WAKE: PRACTICES, TABOOS AND REASONS

A candle is lighted during the wake.  It is so that the deceased soul will find his way to heaven.

Members of the family wear black clothes while distant relatives may just sport a black cloth or pin.  The male members cover their heads with black scarves tied with a knot behind the head.  This is to keep away from danger.  Female members wear manto or long black veil but if a child under 7 years old dies, the parents cover their hair a white manto.

A lot of taboos is observed by the bereaved families like:  it is prohibited to sweep or clean the floor, while the corpse is still in the house.  Wiping is allowed however.  The dirt is left in the corner  The reason for this taboo is to avoid another immediate death in the family and also  luck will not depart from the house.

Bathing is not allowed also to avoid early death.  One may take a bath though, in another house.  Members of the bereaved family should not meet visitors in the door or see them off by the gate, to avoid off the gate, to avoid early death.  One should not light a cigarette  with a lighted candle in the wake to avoid also an early death.  Tears should not be shed on the coffin or on the corpse's face to avoid barus.  Barus is the inability to sleep and the person who has the "barus" feels as if the dead person is at his back.

Likewise, eating of sour food inside the house where there is a dead person is prohibited because to do that you are likely to grow boils and warts.  Laughing is also prohibited to avoid an-annong.  An-annong or makabkablaawan is the Iloko term for the transfer of the dead person's ailment.  The symptoms are a pain or spasmodic dizziness with perspiration.  The visiting person must touch his earlobes saying "bari-bari, dika agtagtagari!", when he enters a house where someone has died to avoid an-annong.  The antidote for an-annong is the application of one's saliva on one's earlobes.  Another is the application or massaging of the clothing or any other thing worn by the deceased on the ailing part of the patient or person afflicted.  Sometimes leaves of marunggay or guava are whipped lightly on the person afflicted.  Likewise, a favorite relative of the decease can care by merely touching the head or stomach of the patient.

The duration of the wake depends on how soon distant relatives can arrive for the funeral.  Should the wake last longer, the corpse gets a better embalmment.  Funerals are great occasions for clan reunions.

Before the coffin is closed ,the bereaved pay their respect in special way.  If the deceased is a parent, the children make the mano, the custom of kissing the hand by putting the hand on the forehead.

Before the coffin is brought out of the house, all pregnant women should get out first and they are forbidden to attend the burial lest they have a difficult delivery or even miscarriage.

The coffin (with the feet of the deceased first) must pass through the door with care are not to touch any part or object of the house.

The route of the funeral procession to the church must be different on the way back.  If that is impossible, a certain detour must be made so that nobody will soon die.

In taking the deceased to the church, the head must enter the church door first and likewise in going out, because such marks the birth of anew life as from the womb of a church.

After the death services in the church, the widow or widower shakes hand with the departed spouse and should not follow to the cemetery to escape early death.  Another reason is, the church is where they were united by marriage, it should also be the fitting place for their separation.

In the cemetery, the coffin is opened again.  The blanket inside the coffin is unfolded and spread over the corpse so that the deceased will not get cold in the final trip to the after life.  Usually a dead person holds a rosary in his folded hands.  The crucifix of the rosary is detached because to bury it is considered as sacrilegious and it might hinder the soul's passage to the other world.

When the coffin is opened again, anybody may whisper his greetings to departed relatives and friends like:  Komustanto laengen ni Pinong.  Or he may say, "kindly give this perfume to Lisa."  And the bottle of perfume or any object is put inside the coffin.  (But it is seen that the coffin is not overloaded or else it may encumber the soul's passage.)  This time is also an occasion for asking forgiveness from the deceased.

If the burial pit occurs, those who are present scoop a handful of soil and throw it to the descending coffin in order to avoid an-annong and to prevent the spirit from disturbing the household.

After the burial, the route taken from the church to the cemetery should be avoided on the way home so that the soul of the deceased will not be able to follow.  After the burial, the mourners return to the house of the bereaved family.  There in the front of the house, the mourners wash their hands with hot water mixed either with boiled guava leaves, vinegar or rice wine called tapey in order to immunize themselves from barus.  This practice of washing is called buggo.  Then lunch is served to console the mourners.

The day after the burial, the family takes the much-awaited bath as long as that day is not a Friday. at the river or at the sea.  Chicken blood and ashes of burned rice straw are used for the gulgol (literally means shampoo).  The gulgol is administered usually by the oldest man in the group (called panglakayen).  The gulgol is to repel the ghost of the dead person, to wash away all the pains and aches and sorrows connected with the death.

The novena starts on the night of the burial day.  The nine consecutive nights are not only praying but also for playing and feasting.  The long novena prayers consist of the rosary, litanies, pious lessons, a string of Our Fathers, Ave Marias, and corrupted Latin orations, and they are usually led by a woman prayer leader.  Snacks are served after the nightly  or afternoon prayers.  Early on the ninth day, the family attends the Requiem Mass which the family offers.  The final novena prayers end at noon time of the ninth day with mourners shedding off their black veils.  This is called Ligsay.  A big lunch is prepared for the guests.  A similar banquet called pamisa is yearly offered together with the Requiem mass, on the death anniversary.

The spirit of the dead is not supposed to be forgotten by relatives throughout the year.  Every time there is a celebration in the house as a birthday party or a fiesta, food is offered to the spirit.  This food offering called atang is the first hot serving from the stove and is put in the household shrine which has Catholic images or pictures of the saints; sometimes atang is put under the trees.

THE SPIRIT WORLD

One distinct aspect in the culture of Santa Lucia which was taken from their Igorot ancestors is their belief with the anitos and di-katawtaw-an (supernatural beings), like the ansisit (dwarf), kaibbaan (green dwarf), pugot, al-alia, sirena, engkantada, mutya or anselmo ( a ball of fire that waylays traveller), manggamud (witches), and atros (flying monster like the aswang).

These supernatural being are believed to be living in trees, in mounds of earth, and even inside their own homes.  These beings are also believed to be kind and friendly as long as they are not harmed.  People may harm these unseen beings accidentally like for example throwing water during dusk.  To avoid this, one should say"kayo-kayo, umadayo kayo," to warn them off.  To appease these beings, the people place an atang to the place where they believe to be lurking.  The offerings consist of basi, tobacco, coconut (mature), be beetle nut, one chicken with yellow feet.  These beings are believed also to bring luck in a house where they stay so to persuade them not to go away, they are offered food every year.  This usually coincides in the month of May thus, the term panag-Mayo or panagannong.

When one is afflicted with a disease caused by these beings,  he seeks the help of the local albularyo.

DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS

Most of the people of Sta. Lucia are educated.  Perhaps that's the reason why most of the old practices are frowned upon like the tani or tampa (arranged marriage).  Even some of the childbirth practices are not followed anymore especially those from the poblacion.  Most houses have electricity. Houses are made up of wood, cement and galvanized iron sheets.  Nearly all the houses have a television set, refrigerator, and all kinds of home appliances.  This is the result of the exodus of many young men and women to foreign lands.  Although most of the people are modern, the spirit of bayanihan is still practised.  Respect towards their parents is not yet lost.  Although womanizing is tolerated among the menfolk, the women are still conventional regarding marriage.  The men are still look up to as the boss in the family, the wife as second only in the rank.