Nagcarlan's Ana Kalang Festival

Unlike most festivals in the Philippines which usually start during the onset of summer and end in late May, the Ana Kalang Festival of Nagcarlan anchors a five-day celebration beginning from the first Wednesday of October each year. The festivities commemorate a bountiful harvest of the town's agro-industrial products.

The name of the festival was derived from a woman named Ana Kalang who, according to myth, was known for her tremendous wealth, kindness, piety and generosity. Nagcarlenos say this woman used to help her townmates in times of trouble. One day, a Spaniard came to her house and upon looking out of the window, he saw branches of a lanzones hitting one another. He asked what was going on and Ana Kalang said "nagkakalang sila". The Spaniard repeatedly misprounounced the phrase until it eventually became Nagcarlan.

The Ana Kalang Festival showcases a unique folk art whose leimotif is the giant statue which Nagcarlenos call "kalang-kalang". The kalang-kalang is usually ten feet high and made of different fruits and vegetables or any indigenous materials for it's parts. Barangays, schools, organizations and individuals are pitted in the kalang-kalang-making contest and each entry is exhibited at the festival site during the five-day celebration and paraded around the town at the close of the festivities.