Title:
Manila Christmas
Description:
Morga’s Manila was different from today’s Intramuros. San Agustin Church was nearing completion, for instance. Christmas emphasised its religious story of the nativity and charity. A contemporary of Morga wrote that during Christmas, the natives gave food to all the poor they could assemble, Spanish and indio prisoners, and the needy who made gunpowder. Only in 1589 (6 years before Morga’s arrival in Manila) was the archipelago reduced into areas, each assigned to a religious order to convert to Christianity and sustain the faith including its food taboos. In some parts of the archipelago the religious orders had well constructed timber monasteries with fine paintings and chapel ornaments including gold chalices. Morga notes that singing, dancing and playing music were native talents.
Subjects:
Manila Intramuros Christianity
Exhibition:
Antonio Morga 30
Source:
Detail of a Manila map by Fr. Ignacio Muñoz, OP, 1671. Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte. Archivo General de Indias. In PHILIPPINE CARTOGRAPHY, 1320-1899 by Carlos’s Quirino, Vibal Foundation edition 2018.
Type:
Image;Still Image
Format:
image/jpeg
Source
Preferred Citation:
"Manila Christmas", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
Reference Link:
felicepstamaria.net/items/coll078.html