Christmas is just around the corner and everybody is definitely excited about it. We are all starting to prepare gifts for our friends, family, and loved ones. This is our tradition during Christmas – exchanging gifts, throwing a party with colleagues, playing games and more fun activities in order to have an enjoyable and memorable Christmas.
Traditions are important for a family, especially to us, Filipinos. We used to have different kinds of traditions that until now we continue to preserve in our culture because it bring families closer together. Naturally, traditions take time and commitment. Through this tradition, it reminds us to stop in the busy cycle of our life and it’s time to gather with our loved ones. This coming Christmas we will be making new memories and remembering the past at the same time.
It is known that the country who celebrates the longest Christmas season is Philippines. In our tradition, the countdown starts on September 1st of the every year which extent from September to December, also known as the “Ber Months”. This time of the year, you can see that some houses and buildings are starting to prepare decorations for Christmas. Beside the street you can see vendors who sell their goods for a cheap price which can be affordable for your gifts. The market begun crowded due to the big sale they offer.
Christmas party
– is one of the traditions we will never missed every year. It is usually held during the second week of December before going on holiday vacations. To have an enjoyable and memorable party we used to do common activities such as Monito/Monita (Kris Kringle), musical performances and parlor games. During this event, the food is provided either through pool of contribution or potluck. This event also serves as the gathering before the year end.
Simbang Gabi/Misa de Gallo
– is mainly practiced by Catholic and Aglipayans, some Evangelical Christian and independent Protestant churches who adopted the practice of having pre-Christmas dawn services. It is observed from 16th to 24th of December.The mass begins as early as 3:00 in the morning while other parishes anticipated it in the evening at 6:00 or 8:00. After the morning mass, people usually buy traditional Filipino foods for breakfast outside the church and eat it either within the church precincts or at home. You can see vendors who offer different native delicacies such as bibingka (rice flour and egg-based cake), puto bumbong (purple sticky rice cake) to sum up with hot coffee or chocolate. This mass is observed to show devotion to God and for anticipating Christ’s birth. There is a folk belief that God will grant your special wish if you competed all nine masses.
Christmas Eve/Bisperas ng Pasko (Noche Buena)
– this is celebrated during December 24th with the Midnight Mass. In this night, Noche Buena is also observed wherein family members are gathered together around midnight on traditional yuletide fare, such as queso de bola, spaghetti, fruit salad, hot chocolate, pandesal, relleno, hamon and other native delicacies of Filipinos. This is also the time of opening presents.
Christmas Day
– Filipinos usually visit their extended family as a sign of respect to senior relatives.Giving respect is enacted through the “pagmamano” where you will take the back of an elder’s hand and presses it against your forehead while saying “mano po”. In return, you can receive an envelope which serves as the aguinaldo or present from them. Specifically, godparents are socially obligated to give presents to their godchildren to whom they often give larger amounts compared to other younger relatives. Following a festive lunch,which they prepare different kinds of delicious dishes and after eating either they go home or linger to drink, play games and catch up some stories with the family.
It is really fun in the Philippines, isn’t it? Despite of all the problems we encounter either personally or in our country as a whole, we choose to enjoy and have fun. We never fail to recall our native traditions which make us unique in our own way.
We do Christmas traditions to give importance in the birth of Christ, our savoir.The origin reminds us that God came as a man in the flesh to save us from evil and gifts represents the story of the three wise men that came to adore the Christ child. It is the time where we focused on giving thanks to all the blessings we receive, sharing blessings to everyone and of course, asking for forgiveness for the sins that we have committed.
Since this season is the most memorable holiday of the year, we really prepare for it just to make time to our family. So take a break from workloads and have time to your family, especially to yourself. This is the perfect time to enjoy. Have a Merry Christmas!
