Christmas in the Philippines

A Parol (Christmas Lantern)

Alright, since Christmas season is in the air, I will give you (readers) some interesting trivias and facts on why Christmas in the Philippines is unique among other Christian/Catholic Countries in the world.

As early as September, we Filipinos are starting to hear Christmas carols on radios and televisions as a part of our culture, we consider this season as one of the largest holidays in every year.

Philippine Christmas usually starts from what we call the '-ber months' starting from September until the Epiphany (January).

Parols and Belens are commonly seen in every houses in the Philippines during this season.

Parol a.k.a. Christmas Lantern is traditionally made of lacquered paper and bamboo, but others are made of cellophane, plastic, rope, capiz shell and a wide variety of materials.

A Belen (Nativity Scene)

Belen a.k.a. The Nativity Scene is a Filipino Christmas symbol that depicts the infant Jesus Christ in the manger, surrounded by the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the shepherds, their flock, the Magi and some stable animals and angels. It can be seen in homes, churches, schools and even office buildings; the ones on office buildings can be extravagant, using different materials for the figures and using Christmas lights, parols, and painted background scenery.

So, why does Christmas very important to us Filipinos?

In my personal opinion, this is the time where the family, whether extended or the family itself, gather in a house, resort and/or any other places to celebrate the birth of our beloved Father, Jesus Christ. In Urban areas, such as Metro Manila and other urban Areas, they celebrate it by having Christmas parties in their offices or in a place of a co-worker/s. And the unique thing is, we have activities like exchanging gifts were every person who are in the place will give their gifts to the person which they have picked during the draw-lots, parlor games, sing and dance competitions, and many other Filipino-related games.

Another thing that other Christmas celebrations around the world do not have is the Dawn Masses/Misa de Gallo or in vernacular the Simbang Gabi. Simbang gabi is an event which will start 9 days before the birth of Christ or in every 16th of December. These nine dawn Masses are also considered as a Novena by the Catholic and Aglipayan faithful. This refers to the practice of performing nine days of private or public devotion to obtain special graces. After the mass has been celebrated, we usually eat bibingkas (rice cake), putò bumbóng (a purple, sticky rice delicacy steamed in bamboo tubes, with brown sugar and shredded dried coconut meat served as condiments) and partnered with tsokolate (hot cocoa) to retain the heat of our body.

During the Christmas Eve, we usually go to chapels/churches to celebrate the Midnight Mass and witness the re-enactment of the journey of Joseph and Blessed Virgin Mary in search of lodging in the middle of the unknown. The Panunulúyan is performed after dark, with the actors portraying Joseph and the Virgin Mary going to pre-designated houses.

We also consider Christmas as primarily a family affair. On Christmas Day, we celebrate a Misa de Aguinaldo which the main means of this is the celebration of the birth of Christ.

As of extension of the Christmas season, we also celebrate the New Year's Eve or the Media Noche, a feast that is also supposed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year.

Christmas season officially ends on the Feast of the Three Kings a.k.a. the Feast of the Epiphany. It is celebrated in every 1st Sunday of the New Year.

So this is it! I was suppose to blog this last week, but I am so busy that I can't even touch my PC.

Enjoy reading and Happy Holidays! ☺

Tweet

Read More