HISTORY OF THE GIANT LANTERN

The parol of star lantern is perhaps the paramount Filipino Christmas symbol – colorful, crafted with love and aglow with the spirit of the season. The Christmas lantern or Parul Sampernandu in Kapampangan can never be distanced from the town which created it, the City of San Fernando. It is what San Fernando is known for. And it is what has made the city famous all over the country and even around the world. The word parol derives from the Spanish farol, meaning lantern or light. Filipinos place much significance on the symbolism of light, the star regarded as a fount of light and a sign of hope in the predominantly Christian country in Asia. Such a creation however, did not come without the untiring efforts of the Fernandinos, and more so, their ingenuity and innovation. And it is because of the Parul Sampernandu that San Fernando has earned for itself the title of “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.” The San Fernando lantern industry progressed from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its root in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was held. “Ligligan Parul” (Lantern Competition) was said to have started in San Fernando in the year 1904. But some say that the “Ligligan Parul” did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in 1908. This forerunner of the present day Giant Lantern Festival was in a religious activity which we know today as “lubenas,” a nine-day novena before Christmas, which coincided with the “simbang gabi” from December 16 to 24. This tradition gradually evolved as the lanterns became bigger and the designs more intricate. Later, one big lantern was made for each barrio, which was created through a cooperative effort. It was in the year 1931 the electricity was established in San Fernando, thus sparking the birth of the first Giant Lantern Festival. The added illusion of dancing lights highlighted the bright colors and intricate designs of these Giant Lanterns. At this time, the lights were controlled by individual switches that were turned on and off following the best of the music. In the years that followed, more improvements were introduced to the giant lanterns. Colored plastic replaced the traditional papel de hapon. In replacement of bamboo, the lantern makers weld together a steel frame, which follows the design itself. The frame is the lined with cardboard and foil followed by another enormous task, placing the over 5,000 light bulbs in their places and wiring them up together using hundreds of yards of electrical wires. Large steel barrels called rotors also replaced the hand-controlled switches to maneuver the lights. Strips of masking tape on this rotors establish the sequence of the switching on and off of the lights. Hairpins, attached to the end of the wires leading to each bulb, connect the lights to the rotor, which in turn, is connected to the source of electricity. Today, the simple lantern made of paper glued over a bamboo frame with rice paste has evolved into spectacular shapes and kaleidoscopic splendor – but its message of light and hope remains the same. -------------------------------------------------
History of Giant Lantern Festival[edit]
The San Fernando lantern industry evolved from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its roots in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was held. Following the transfer of the provincial capital from Bacolor to San Fernando in August 1904, this lantern event followed as well. "Ligligan Parol" was said to have started in San Fernando in 1904. But some say that the "Ligligan Parol" did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in 1908.
This predecessor of the modern day Giant Lantern Festival was actually a religious activity which we know today as “lubenas.” The lanterns measured just two feet in diameter, a far cry from the fifteen feet that we see today. These were created in each barrio from bamboo and other locally available materials. During the nine-day novena before Christmas, which coincided with the simbang gabi from December 16 to 24, these paruls were brought around each barrio in procession to their visita. Before the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the lanterns were brought to the town church together with the barrio patrons.
This tradition gradually evolved as the lanterns became bigger and the designs more intricate. Later, one big lantern was made for each barrio, which was created through a cooperative effort. Each resident contributed to its construction, from the concept and design, to the materials and labor. In the end, these lanterns became a symbol of unity for the barrios.
It was in 1931 that electricity was introduced to the San Fernando lantern, thus sparking the birth of the first Giant Lantern Festival. The added illusion of dancing lights highlighted the bright colors and intricate designs of these Giant Lanterns. At this time, the lights were controlled by individual switches that were turned on and off following the beat of the music. The barangays of Del Pilar, Sta. Lucia and San Jose were among the first barangays to participate in the festival.[2]
The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines".
The first lantern festival was held to honor President Manuel L. Quezon. At that time, Quezon made Arayat his rest area and converted Mount Arayatinto a tourist resort. As a show of gratitude to Quezon, the people of San Fernando held a Christmas lantern contest to honor the first family. Quezon himself donated the prize for his lantern contest, which was personally awarded to the winner by First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon.[1]
The festival for year 2010 was held on 18 December 2010 in Robinsons Star Mills Pampanga.[4]
At the time President Manuel Quezon made Arayat his residence and converted into a tourist destination, the fist Lantern Festival is held. Being thankful, the people of Arayat devised a Christmas Lantern contest in honor of the president and his family. The winner of the contest received an award donated by the president himself thru his first lady Aurora Quezon.
The Competitors[edit]
The competitors are defending champions Sta. Lucia, Calulut, Del Carmen, Del Pilar, Dolores, San Jose, San Juan, San Nicolas, San Pedro Cutud, Sto. Niño, and Telabastagan. Each of the lanterns cost P500,000 (but the city government subsidized the costs at P125,000).[17]
Each "parul" has a safety box (75 KVA generator, powerful enough to electrify an entire barangay, even made high-tech and computerized). The shapes vary fromn the rose, the bromeliad, snowflakes and the sea urchin which rhythmically dance to brass bands and solemn music).
Gigantic parols span an average breadth of 40 feet (crepe paper, Japanese paper, soft-drink straws, wood, plastic, glass, metal, capiz shell and other native materials (with average weight of 1 ton, requiring at least 50 workers to assemble in 365 days (January to May, electrical framework; June to July, electrical wiring; August to December, the papering).
The first biggest lantern in the world was maded in Ganesh Kala Krida, Pune district in India in 1998 (38 feet tall and 22 feet wide 2,000 sheets of thermocol and 55 pounds of nails and 250 bulbs). A 60-foot lantern costs P5 million. 100 craftsmen in City of San Fernando tried to create a 100 feet diameter Parul. Pampanga board member Robert David in 1998 made the "Millennium Parol," and in 1989, he built the first fiberglass lantern (Bren Guiao Convention Center). In 1990, he made a fiberglass lantern (roof of the Paskuhan Village, the first in Asia and the third in the world).[18]

Origin
The art of parol making tradition started way back 1928 as Francisco Estanislao made a symbol of the Star in Bethlehem when he made the first parol that has five-point star lantern, lighted by a candle or carbide lamp.
Lantern-making industry in San Fernando is dramatically influenced and assisted to boost by this magnificent event, the Giant Lantern Festival. Originally named as “Ligligan Parul” or “Pista ng Parul”, the festival is said to have started in 1904.
Lubenas, a predecessor of the modern day Giant Lantern Festival, is a religious event. The lanterns originally measure only 2 feet in diameter, they are usually built from bamboo and other local materials. In the event of the 9-day novena before Christmas, as people observe the Simbang Gabi, the lanterns march around in every barrio as an observance of the “visita”. Along with the barrio’s patrons, the lanterns were brought to the town church before the Christmas Eve.
Evolution of the lanterns started from the size and designs have become elaborated, it is decided that each barrio gets represented by only one big lantern built through cooperative effort. One resident of a barrio would contribute for the materials to be used, one would make the design, and one would manage the construction. With this, the lantern became a symbol unity for each barrio.