Believe Me
Or Not!
A five-minute immersion exercise Philippine history
By
Jose Sison Luzadas
Delray Beach, Fl
Topic:
ANY WINE AS LONG AS IT IS “ARAK”
Of the many native revolts and uprisings recorded during the early Spanish time most were caused by pagan superstitious beliefs in conflict with Catholic practices or the refusal to pay the collection of excessive tribute. When the freedom-loving Ilocanos of Piddig or San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur were banned from drinking their favorite wine, it precipitated the “BASI REVOLT of 1807.
According to Wikipedia:
“Wine has a rich history dating back to around 6000 BC and is thought to have originated in areas now within the borders of Georgia and Iran.[6][7] Wine probably appeared in Europe at about 4500 BC in what is now Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece, and was very common in ancient Greece, Thrace and Rome. Wine has also played an important role in religion throughout history. The Greek god Dionysos and the Roman equivalent Bacchus represented wine, and the drink is also used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion) and Kiddush.
The word “wine” derives from the Proto-Germanic “*winam,” an early borrowing from the Latin vinum, “wine” or “(grape) vine,” itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem *win-o- (cf. Hittite: wiyana ,Lycian: Oino, Ancient Greek οῖνος – oînos, Aeolic Greek ϝοίνος – woinos).[8][9]”
The Ilocanos in northern Luzon like the Lebanese and people living in the Mediterranean cities in Europe enjoy drinking wine they all call “ARAK”!