Every first Sunday of December each year, the Grand Marian Festival brings life to the walled city of Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. The Catholic nation truly awaits the coming of this religious procession. The traditional Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated for about four centuries now, evolved into a grand display of variety of images of the Virgin Mary. Pope Paul V introduced the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception to the people and since, grand celebration is held in honor of the Virgin Mary.
During the feast, thousands of devotees take part in the celebration with hundreds of images of the Virgin Mary, as it signifies her day of birth. The Grand Marian Procession starts from the Manila Cathedral and into the streets of the Walled City.
Statues of the Virgin Mary from all over the Philippines gather together in this religious procession making this event unique. Highlight of the festival is to witness the tradition and the devotion of the Catholic nation making this once a year celebration very appealing to the masses.The procession usually starts in the afternoon at five and progresses for two to three hours.
- Most people here in the Philippines are Catholic and thus worship Mother Mary and celebrate the annual fiest of her birthday. Some provinces here in the Philippines celebrate Fiesta to honor Mother Mary who is the Mother of God, usually Catholic Schools declare this as a Holiday usually on the 8th of December. This is where the town who celebrates fiesta invites people and welcome them to their home for a celebration. Usually town have parades and activites for the celebration. -