Christmas according to Filipino tradition


Father James Oclarit, a Filipino Passionist Father working in the Filipino chaplaincy, has sent us a beautiful description of Filipino tradition at Christmas time.

filipino_christmas

Christmas season is the most awaited celebration for the Filipino people. It is the best time of the year for Filipinos who worked oversees and those who migrated to other countries to visit their homeland, the Philippines and spend holidays with their loved ones. Young and old are excited when the Christmas season comes. Everybody is busy decorating their houses and offices with sparkling "parol" or lanterns, putting colorful Christmas lights, preparing for Christmas parties, buying and wrapping gifts, cooking different foods for relatives and friends, travelling to visit relatives, enjoying the holidays with love ones.

In the Philippines, the spirit of Christmas fills the air starting in the month of September. You can hear Christmas songs played in malls, radio stations and even in homes. People will start to decorate their houses, offices, business areas and even the parks and plazas. Colorful Christmas lights, lanterns and Christmas trees are present everywhere which make everybody feel that Christmas is here. It adds to the excitement of the Filipinos to see Christmas promos and sale of all goods in most department stores, malls and supermarkets. Almost all business sectors have their own way of promoting their business in the Christmas season. Most Filipinos young and old are looking forward to this time of the year. Here is how we prepare for Christmas celebrations.

Celebrating Christmas formally begins with the attendance of the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses or the Simbang Gabi and ends on the first Sunday of January, the Feast of the Three Kings. The very early morning mass reminds us of our agricultural roots – the missionaries celebrated this mass so that all the workers could attend. (In Israel, we have been celebrating these same masses later at night so that all the migrant workers can attend). Whether morning or evening, the masses are concluded with a feast of traditional food.

For Filipinos, the bamboo parol (pah-role) or star lantern is the symbol of the season. The world parol comes from the Spanish. Representing the guiding star of Bethlehem, the parol can be found hanging outside homes and along streets. In fact, for Filipinos the making of a parol is an expression of shared faith and hope.

Most Filipinos who have spent their childhood back home remember the pangangaroling (singing Christmas songs) to their neighbors and friends. Children make their own instruments of tambourines made of tansans (aluminum bottle caps) or make shift drums (empty cans with a plastic cover) and go around the neighborhood to sing Christmas carols.

Another Filipino Christmas tradition that is not missed is the Noche Buena. Celebrated on December 24, this Christmas Eve dinner is held usually after the end of the midnight mass. Being a people who love food, the Noche Buena feast is always a sight to behold with tables groaning under the weight of the delicious delicacies.

May we all have a happy holiday!

 

 

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