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Christmas celebrations in the Philippines

The longest ever!

25 OCTOBER 2015,

NILA ESLIT

Christmas celebrations in the Philippines

Christmas celebrations in the Philippines

Nowhere else in the world can you witness Christmas celebrations lasting longer than in the Philippines.
They start in September.

For the catholics who take part in the "Novena", Christmas observances officially start on December
16th and end on the Epiphany, that is, with the commemoration of the visit of the magi to the Child
Jesus.

But in the Philippines, the Christmas atmosphere begins just when the “ber” months are ushered in.
“Ber” refers to the last four months of the year whose names end with these letters.

As early as September 1st, Filipinos start decorating their homes, while department stores and shopping
malls begin playing Christmas carols. Both public and private offices do their share of creating a
“Christmasy” feeling in their respective workplaces.

A typical adornment in most, if not all, Filipino homes and workplaces is the colourful parol or star-
shaped lantern. You can bet that in every household there is at least one creative member who knows
how to make a unique parol. This lantern is then hung outside the front door or window to illuminate
the way for parishioners going to church to participate in the dawn novena Mass.

A Nativity Scene, or belen, is also a common adornment in many homes. Again, the set design for this
depends on the ingenuity of Filipinos. They can make a wide range of themes to depict Jesus’ birth.
And a Christmas tree is, as usual, a common sight everywhere. In many households you’ll find
commercially-available material; while in others you’ll see trees made out of common objects found
around the house, such as broom or maguey flowers creatively designed to make them look like trees.

September is also the start of carolling time for children. They will sing moving from one household to
another hoping to earn some coins or candies. Adult carollers are also common as soon as the official
Christmas season comes in. Godparents, meanwhile, will start making a list of their godchildren so that
gifts can be prepared for them.

Misa de Aguinaldo

Being a Christian country, the Philippines commence the official Christmas season with a reverent nine-
dawn Mass, called Simbang Gabi, starting on December 16. It’s a common practice shared by both the
Roman Catholics and the Aglipayans in reverence to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she awaited the birth of
the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Its liturgical importance stems from the Advent season, the period when
Christian believers spiritually prepare and purify themselves for the coming of the Child Jesus.

Simbang Gabi, literally translated as “Night Mass”, is actually held around 4 o’clock in the morning. Its
history can be traced back to the latter part of the 17th century, during the early days of Christianity.
Since the Christmas season was also a harvest period in the Philippines, it was customary then to hold
Thanksgiving prayers in the evenings. But because the farmers would have been too tired from work to
attend the novena prayers by this time, the friars decided to set the schedule of the Mass at dawn so
that farmers wouldn’t miss hearing the Word of God before proceeding to their respective fields [1] .

Since then, Simbang Gabi has become unique to the Filipino culture and recognized as a symbol of
sharing.

Right after the Mass, Filipinos will satisfy their stomachs with various traditional “Christmas foods” and
drinks sold outside the church. Many small vendors will display their freshly cooked bibingka or rice
cake, puto, suman, tsokolate (chocolate drink), salabat or ginger tea, coffee, and other treats. Most of
the pastries for sale are made of rice or carbohydrates because farmers have to fill their stomachs
before they begin their work at the farm.

Moreover, there’s a centuries-old belief among parishioners that if you make a wish and are able to
attend all nine dawn Masses, your wish is supposed to come true. Ironically, though, only the first and
the ninth dawn of the Simbang Gabi receive the largest number of church-goers.

Christmas celebration Filipino style

Simbang Gabi culminates at dawn on December 24. Then, another Mass on Christmas Eve, called the
Misa de Gallo, or Mass of the Gifts, is held shortly before midnight. After this Mass, families get together
in their homes for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner called Noche Buena. Children who have lived
apart from their parents due to marriage or studies come home to their parents for this special event.
They feast on local delicacies and other traditional dishes, such as a roasted pig called lechon, hamon,
pancit, lumpia, fried chicken, fruit salad, spaghetti,and quezo de bola among several other delicacies,
depending on the region they are from.

Generally, Christmas is a special occasion that most, if not all, Filipinos look forward to each year where
families get to spend more time together and catch up with each other's lives.

Note:

[1] Rodell, Paul A.,Culture and Customs of the Philippines. Greenwood Publishing Group, November
2001

Nila Eslit

Nila Eslit

Nila Eslit is a Philippine-based freelance content writer, editor, and copywriter. She also writes book
reviews. She received a baccalaureate in Mass Communication from St. Theresa’s College, Cebu,
Philippines..