Church Festival, Churches, Traditions - Saturday, March 31, 2007 23:19 - 19 Comments

Church feast and festivals in Central Kerala-Kottayam

The Bible and other historical records of the apostolic era confirm that the original Christian Church continued to observe the same festivals Jesus observed. Church festivals are days set apart by the Church either for the remembrance of some special mercies of God or for celebration of feasts.

This article details the Church feast and festivals in Kerala especially in and around Kottayam district.¹

The rituals of Nasranis seems to reach it culminating point on the occasion of Church festivals. Not only are the great wealth and vast tradition of the Kerala Church made manifest to those who crowd the streets, but the possession appeal to varying degrees to people of all faiths.Even those who have no well established religious feeling also seem to take a certain measure of delight in the splendor of what they have come to regard as the outward and visible sign of existence. Non Christians also participate in the Church festivals and some of the Churches have historical collaboration with Hindu Temples on sharing resources for festival possessions.

1.Kuravilangadu

The Moonnunombu and the ship made of wood at the ancient 3rd Century built St. Mary’s church here is famous. The Kappalottam during the second day of munnu nombu attracts thousands of devotees.

Rogation of the Ninevites commemorates the repentance of the people of Nineveh at the preaching of Jewish Prophet, Jonah. In the Old Testament section of the Bible the story of Jonah is written as a prophetic teaching. The historical Johah was one of the twelve minor Jewish prophets who lived sometimes during the reign of the Jewish king, Jeroboam II (783-743 BC).

Jonah’s story is one of the most familiar stories of the Old Testament: God instruct Jonah to go to Nineveh and condemn Assyrians for their “wickedness.” Instead Jonah runs away. He boards a ship bound for Spain, but the ship encounters a storm. The passengers cast Johah into the sea and he is then swallowed by a great fish, traditionally thought to be a whale. After three days in the belly of the fish, Johah is coughed up and travels to Nineveh. The Ninevites repent and God withholds his judgment against a non-Israelite nation, hence demonstrating concern for all humans. Continue…

1. Acknowledgment- Collected from multiple sources.Many thanks to Joseph George and Xavier Kalangara for the additional information and corrections.We would like to expand this to cover all the prominant Church festivals in Kerala.Please contribute further. [↩]