Contemplating Instances of Kapampangan Heritage Projected in Two, 2019 San Fernando Lantern Displays

Abstract

This paper covers a close reading of lantern displays from two locations in San Fernando --- Heroes Hall & Park and the Giant Lantern Festival of 2019. It is proposed here that the displays have references coincidentally or deliberately nodding to the theme of the United Nations General Assembly in the program of reaffirming and promoting heritage, which includes language, as proclaimed in the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
In addition, the close reading gains its substance from historical and cultural contexts influencing the reception of lantern designs, as well as a proposed step formula which breaks down gimmicks into subjects, structure, symbols on the iconographic level, and form-qualities, which are in turn organized via visual-kinesthetic and cultural group thematic classification. Furthermore, in some instances applicable, several ruminations are included on the topic of alternate discourses suggested for the design.