Lenten in Boracay?

For most Filipinos and foreign tourists, all roads lead to Boracay island during Lenten season. The Holy Week is considered a peak season for tourist traffic in Boracay. I really don't know why a lot of people choose to spend Holy Week- a period for prayer and penitence- at a place where acts of penance would be the last thing on your mind.

As a premiere tourist spot in the Philippines and a popular travel destination among international tourists, Boracay is where you go if you wish to do some serious partying and tanning. The whole island is hopping and throbbing, especially during Lenten season when thousands flock to the island seeking a blast and expecting to drown themselves in balmy, tropical parties.

Now, I don't wish to sound righteous. I'm just mystified by the whole thing. Isn't Lent a time for fasting (both from food and festivities) and praying? I seriously doubt if you can do that in party central Boracay.

I looked it up at Wikipedia, hoping to find some answers.According to this, it seems that there is a traditional carnival celebration that precedes Lent in many cultures which have become associated with the season of fasting "if only because they are a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins." The Mardi Gras in New Orleans is one of the most famous of these pre-Lenten carnivals. (The West's version of our Holy-Week-in-Boracay activity).

But there is a difference between Mardi Gras and our Holy-Week-in-Boracay. If I understand it correctly, Mardi Gras- which is French for "Fat Tuesday" - occurs the day before Ash Wednesday. It is celebrated on the final day of Carnival which is the three-day period preceding the beginning of Lent- on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday- immediately before Ash Wednesday. However, as far as I know, our Holy-Week-Boracay thing starts as early as Monday or Sunday and continues through Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Friday, Black Saturday, Easter Sunday and even the week after. The bakasyonistas there party from dusk to dawn, all throughout the entire Holy Week.

(There is a question about spending Holy Week in Boracay posted on Yahoo Answers here. The best answer chosen by the Asker is of course the answer that she obviously was seeking in the first place.)

Oh well, different strokes for different folks. Maybe some tourists do go there to repent and reflect, separating themselves from the throng of party-hoppers to stop by at some quaint and quiet local church to pray. Or maybe some people just have the unique ability to be able to go into deep silence and meditation amidst massive crowds of people who work hard and party even harder. Maybe.