It’s already Christmas in the Philippines!
Berrr.. the weather has yet to get really cold and it’s still 2 months before Christmas, but in the Philippines - the spirit of the season has slowly crept in since September.
Traditionally, the Filipino Christmas season begins once the months’ names ended with “..ber” - September, October, November, December. Four months to prepare and get into the spirit of the holidays. Unlike the western countries, Filipinos don’t celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving so really, the biggest holiday this time of the year is Christmas and we do celebrate it big!
The lights have lit on the giant Christmas tree in the middle of Ayala Avenue. Christmas parols along Pampanga are beginning to appear on the stores and streets. Christmas carols are commonly sung over mall speakers, and people start thinking of gifts and the big feasts to cook come December 16.
Nape, not December 24 or 25. December 16 marks the official Christmas celebration, nine days before the 25th and continuing until the Feast of the Three Kings in the second Sunday of January. That’s how long we celebrate the season, and I love every day of it!
You’ll know it’s Christmas in the Philippines when we’ll be smelling the aroma of puto bumbong and bibingka, practicing our caroling with friends, packing a balik-bayan box, planning our trips back to the grandparents and going to the midnight masses. People will be smiling more, giving more, being nicer and humming carols… Ahh, the spirit of the season is here.
Tags: christmas, season, celebration, filipino, tradition
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POSTED IN: General: Philippine Culture, Travel and Culture
November 13th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
i don’t know. in some places, puto bumbong and bibingka are already available all year round, and not a lot of folks bother anymore to get up at dawn for the midnight masses. it’s sad, but it seems like christmas traditions in the philippines are fast fading.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I still believe that Filipino Christmas Spirit is still unremarkably strong and influential. You could see people preparing their houses or offices with christmas decors since last september. Early this November, we went to Divisoria - and who would expect that many Filipino’s even other race are very eager to buy and shop for their early christmas gifts and decors. Also, I worked at an international office and most of the foreigner staff joined us in our early kris kringle. They are anticipating the foods, prizes and the fun that awaits every guest and participants on our christmas party which will be happening this November 30!!..
November 27th, 2007 at 3:38 am
Christmas is fast-approaching, madami ng mga batang nangangaroling, halos lahat ng bahay sa aming subd. eh me parol ng nakasabit…it just proves that we Filipinos eh sinasapuso parin ang Pasko, sa kabila ng krisis.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:24 am
cHristmas is the season of celebrating the birth of our great redeemer. tHE tRue essenCE of cHristmas is all aBout giVing, Forgiving aNd shariNg. It is a day of family closeness and everyone wishae aggod cheer and glad tidings.
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:37 am
[…] it starts in September, way before the air gets cold. Christmas lights, lanterns (parols), and decors are up. Christmas […]