Join Kids Create Change for a celebration of Filipino culture at Coffee LAB this weekend!
October is Filipino American History Month and Kids Create Change is partnering with their friends at Coffee Lab to bring traditional art-making, musical performances and delicious treats to the Noyes corridor.
Today, October 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Kids Create Change will offer materials and instruction to create a weaving with natural materials.
Weaving in the Philippines is one of the distinctive forms of expression of the arts, culture and tradition of the indigenous people. The first historical traces of weaving in the Philippines were found in a cave in the Cagayan Province and Palawan Island dated 1255 – 605 BCE.
Every region of the Philippines has their own handloom tradition that is their trademark. The art of Filipino weaving makes use of local cotton, fibers, abaca, and pineapple as raw material. The patterns of textiles and baskets reveal the history of a region and tells stories about native lands.
Indigenous hand weaving traditions are a dying art with the introduction of modern technology, but older generations of Indigenous people strive to preserve them by passing them down to the younger generations.
Today, there are 450 weaving groups across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
On Sunday, October 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Kids Create Change will lead Filipino parol decorating.
A parol is a Filipino Christmas lantern. The tradition of the parol dates back to the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. It was adapted from the Hispanic tradition of carrying small torches or candles during the nine-day Christmas Novena procession leading to Simbang Gabi or midnight mass.
Traditional Parols are made using bamboo and washi paper, and are illuminated with candles or oil lamps. Modern parols are made using plastic, shells, glass, beads, foil, feathers, hemp, leaves, seeds, plastic straws, wood or metal and are illuminated with electric lighting.
Historically Parols were made in various shapes and sizes but with American colonization came the standardization of the five-pointed star with two decorative ‘tails’ - the star shape symbolizing the star of Bethlehem.
Stop by, grab an ube latte from the baristas at Coffee Lab, enjoy Northern-style bibingka, Filipino-inspired macarons, scones & filled buns, and make some art!
