Pangilinan, Kenneth L. BSA/A-431 1. What is culture? Culture is the continuous refining by human beings of their being human.

There have been varying definitions of the term "culture," but all surround human activity. Cultural researcher Raymond Williams wrote in 1958 that culture is a "set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs." A 2002 article by the United Nations agency UNESCO quotes this definition and agrees with it. But as far back as 1871, Sir Edward B. Tylor referred to culture as "civilization" saying that it is a "complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Many people view the latter as the more suitable definition. Because cultures are taught rather than inborn, they can adjust and change through invention and innovation. Two cultures could merge and cultures could adapt to new circumstances and situations. Cultures often borrow from each other (diffusion or transculturation), and of course, cultural adaptation can be forced upon people by tyranny (acculturation). With the exception of a few small and only recently discovered tribes in remote jungles, all peoples of the world have gone through these fusion processes. Another view of culture includes the three elements, values, norms and artifacts. Values reflect ideas on what is important in life. They are the foundation for all else in a culture. Norms are the expected and accepted ways that people behave in a culture, and sanctions enforce norms. Artifacts are a cultures material items, generally studied by archeologists.

2. What is Kapampangan Culture? The Kapampangans share the general culture and traditions of the lowland Christian Filipinos, especially of their Tagalog neighbors to the east and south. However, they speak a distinct language, which is a source of ethnic pride. Spanish chroniclers and early anthropologists have remarked on the distinctiveness of that language and they have proposed theories that the Kapampangans may have come to the Philippines from Java or elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The Kapampangans apply themselves to the same industries as the Tagalogs but are renowned for certain crafts for which they excel. They are exceptional jewelers and goldsmiths, as well as furniture makers and woodcarvers. Antique

jewelry and furniture from Pampanga are considered valuable heirlooms by Filipino families and as priced possessions by antique collectors. Kapampangans are renowned throughout the archipelagos as excellent cooks. They have ingeniously incorporated indigenous, Spanish and Chinese elements into their cuisine that have made the Pampanga food preparation and culinary arts both exotic and sumptious. Among the more known specialities of the Kapampangans include buro, which is meat, fish or vegetables preserved in brine or fermented with rice, tapa, or dried beef or venison, tocino, or cured pork, longaniza or spiced pork sausages, aligi, or crab fat, and sisig, or sizzling pig cheeks. The province of Pampanga had been held under the influence of the Catholic Church since the beginning of Spanish colonization. Some of the most colorful and interesting observances are connected with Christian holidays. During Good Friday, several towns in Pampanga hold atonement rites. Masked flagellants parade in the streets of beating their bare backs with whips and kneel before the church. Others are "crucified" onto wooden crosses in passion plays that mark the important Christian day. Every year, during Christmas time, Pampanga becomes the hub of a thriving industry centered on the making of colored lanterns alit with blinking patterns of light. On the 24th of December, the provincial capital, San Fernando becomes the focal point of the Giant Lantern Festival. A kaleidoscope of lights and tinsel from giant lanterns come together to compete and showcase the ingenuity of the Kapampangan. The province also boasts of some of the most beautiful examples of colonial church architecture in the Philippines. The churches of Betis , Apalit, Bacolor, and Angeles stand out because of the designs and embellishments that were used in adorning the Christian houses of worship.