I like Easter in the Philippines. It seems like everything shuts down, and people get their choice of what to do to spend the really long weekend doing. If you want to brave the crowds at the beach or popular tourist spots, book early and pack a lot of patience. If you want to spend it following the Holy Week traditions with your family , you can do that too, or if you just want to spend it vegging out and exploring the very rarely non-traffic parts of Metro Manila, you can do that too.

While I’m usually with my mom’s family spending the Holy Week, I only got a couple of days in, waking up Good Friday with my nose stuffed up, head swimming and feeling like coughing up my lung, I was barely sociable and weirdly, had a bigger appetite since I couldn’t taste most of the food so my mouth didn’t know when to stop (hi, it’s Jody, I have an excuse to eat more at every turn).  Parent and self imposed rest gave me something I rarely get to do nowadays, which is sleep in at night. Working nights has really changed a lot of routine and my lifestyle, but of the most is just not having to draw my blackout curtains in and closing the windows to get some shut eye.

BUT I DIGRESS (If you’re a new reader, prepare to read this phrase a lot. If you’re an old one, hello, my bag of tricks is the same).

More than Christmas, I feel like the Holy Week is more of a time with options and relaxation, and generally, that keeps people happy. (And there’s no pressure of having to buy presents for everyone you’re going to see, so there’s points for that too)

So take a page from The Guy Up There and use this as a renewal, a celebration of new beginnings. From the ashes, the pain, the grueling torture He went through, he got up and got shiny new again. And if He went through that, you’re okay with what you went through too. If you’re not a believer of these things, then just use this time (you still have several hours) to get a new haircut, sleep in, go to your favorite restaurant, get a day trip in your favorite beach, and wake up tomorrow refreshed, happier, with new beginnings. Because you deserve it. Because you’ve earned it.

How was your Holy Week? Are you going back to your Monday grind a happier person? I hope you are.