Christmas in Our Hearts

     The Christmas season in the Philippines is all about the awesome qualities of the Filipino people – being warm, generous, creative, and super dedicated to family. What makes our Christmas stand out is that we kick off the celebration way early, starting with what we call the "ber months" in September. It's like a big deal here and turns our Christmas into the longest celebration on the planet, building up to the grand finale on December 25. During these months, families start getting their act together by putting up Christmas lights and gradually turning up the holiday vibes. You can't miss the iconic Christmas tune "Christmas in Our Hearts" playing everywhere, even though the weather might not be as cool as we'd like it to be, due to climate change. But, hey, we Filipinos always find a way to make Christmas feel like Christmas.

    One cool thing about starting early is that wherever you go, you're surrounded by lights, especially these star-shaped decorations called "parols." These big, lit-up stars pop up in houses and shops all over the place, bringing that Christmas joy. We, 10-Marconi, recently joined a parol-making contest, and even though our entry was kinda rushed, we still managed the win. It just goes to show that the Christmas spirit makes anything possible. In our community, you can't escape the sound of carolers singing their hearts out for some extra cash. As a student, Christmas party will always be a part of me. This means that we will have a holiday break. I think every Christmas party is memorable to me. From games down to the most exciting part, exchange gift. The joy of receiving gifts is different. A week before the party, we usually do the monito and monita. It's a simple gift-giving process where the teacher describes something like "something short" or "something soft." But this year, we decided to do something different. In our gift exchange, every student will jot down a codename and a wishlist. This way, we keep the element of surprise regarding the person we've chosen while having a clue about their preferences. For Christmas, our family also joins the series of novena starting on December 16th and ending on December 24th. Locally, it's called "Simbang Gabi". We complete these 9 days of mass hoping our wishes come true in the new year. The big moment for us is Christmas Eve. Our neighborhood gets busy cooking for Noche Buena, and there are games where everyone gets a bit competitive. I've won a lot of times, of course. At 12:00 am, we start saying "Merry Christmas," and our family sits down to eat together for Noche Buena. On the table, you'll find spaghetti, hamon de bola, queso de bola, fruits, buko pandan, and pancit.

    In every carol we sing, every parol that lights up, and every warm "Merry Christmas" exchanged, there's a shared joy that defines the heart of our beloved holiday season. For us Filipinos, life moves forward, and so does Christmas. Even if things look a bit different this year, the essence of Christmas remains unchanged, making it even more joyful and meaningful. These traditions are relived year after year as we eagerly await the arrival of Christmas. While not all Filipinos may have the means to practice these customs, it doesn't make them lacking. The reality is that not everyone can afford fancy Christmas decorations, extravagant gifts, or lavish celebrations, and that's perfectly fine. You'll find that the true meaning of a "Filipino Christmas" doesn't hinge on these external things – it comes from an internal source, a connection with something higher.

REFERENCE/S:

(n.d). Accounts.google.com, Retrieved December 6, 2023, from 

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Directo, J. (2015). [Photograph]. Love The Holidays? The Philippines Celebrates 4 Months Of Christmas Mania. Retrieved December 6, 2023, from

        https://www.npr.org/2018/12/24/678616528/love-the-holidays-the-philippines-celebrates-4-months-of-christmas-mania

De Guzman, E. (2018). [Photograph]. 4 NEW FAMILY TRADITIONS FOR A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. Retrieved December 6, 2023, from

        https://momcenter.com.ph/2018/11/06/4-new-family-traditions-for-a-very-merry-christmas/