December 11, 2006

You know it’s Christmas in the Philippines when…

Here we list five Filipino Christmas symbols that mark the beginning of the most meaningful celebration in every Filipino family.

The Parol or Christmas lantern to light the way of the lost and wayward.

parol

Christmas Caroling , brought to you by the ChurchChoir or the street boys.

christmasCheer1

Bibingka, puto bungbong at iba pa. Food, food, food everywhere you turn there’s blessed food!

bibingkaputobungbong

The pinoy Christmas tree. Be it a poinsettia plant, a twig on a plant pot, or even the Perla soap Christmas tree…

redpoinsettia

Simbang Gabi . Cool nights, solemn masses and blessed food (but of course)

simbang-gabi2

 

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10 comments

10 comments to You know it’s Christmas in the Philippines when…

  1. AnP
    December 11th, 2006 at 3:22 am

    hayyyy… kaka miss

  2. melsantos
    December 11th, 2006 at 4:54 am

    christmas in the phils. is very unique and very colorful. what i don’t like in pinas during the holiday is the traffic mess. i spent christmas in pinas last year and i cannot move anywhere because of the traffic mess. one thing very nice about the holidays is that pinoys will do everything possible to make the children happy and to have new clothes and shoes for them, no matter what it takes.the misa de gallo is the one that i miss very much.

  3. Noypetes
    December 12th, 2006 at 10:55 am

    ….You see all the expensive “pasalubong or padala” jackets from overseas being modelled by the proud recipients at the local church during “Simbang Gabi”. More people on the streets and shopping malls, a lot of Balikbayans, festive mood all over the country. I miss the merriment that occurs every night on a usually dreary neighborhood during the longest Christmas holiday celebration in the whole world….Maligayang pasko sa inyong lahat!

  4. Grace
    December 13th, 2006 at 2:07 am

    i just put up our Christmas tree here in Baltimore, so I’d feel the christmassy spirit. and yeah, of course celebrating the birth of Jesus begins in the heart, but it helps to have a festive mood. nothing beats Christmas in the Philippines! neighborhood kids caroling every night, having the smell of bibingka in the air, seeing parol everywhere… back when i was tehre, it’s not even that Christmas was about shopping for gifts (since we didn’t have money!) it’s really the feeling of family and festivity right? here in America it’s been a lowered to just shopping holiday… haay, nakaka-miss talaga!

  5. Leo
    December 17th, 2006 at 7:25 am

    What I miss most is puto bumbong and bibingka with smoking hot salabat or tsaa right after the simbang gabi mass. This will be my last missed-Chrismas here in desert land of KSA because I’m coming home for good soon! Merry Christmas to everyone!

  6. Grace
    December 18th, 2006 at 2:21 pm

    good for you, Leo! oh my, you must be so excited these days. are you still able to sleep? :-)
    merry Christmas to you as well and may you enjoy your balikbayan Christmas in the Philippines

  7. Let’s Visit Asia » Christmas in Asia
    December 28th, 2006 at 4:57 am

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