The Philippines has the distinction of celebrating Christmas longer than any other country in the world. Even last month, in mid September, stores in Manila were starting to play Christmas carols and sell Christmas decorations. The celebration will go on for about 4 months all told, ending on the 3rd Sunday in January, which is the Feast of Santo Nino de Cebu. Well,
when in Rome ... so in the (extremely early) spirit of things, I've gone ahead and put up the apartment Christmas decorations, as shown in the above photos.
In case you're interested, here are some of the Filipino Christmas traditions which take place during that 4 month celebration period:
"Simbang Gabi (Filipino: Night Mass; Spanish: Misa de Gallo, "Rooster's Mass") is a novena of dawn Masses from 16 December to Christmas Eve. The Simbang Gabi is practised mainly by Catholics and Aglipayans, with some Evangelical Christian and independent Protestant churches having adopted the practise of having pre-Christmas dawn services. Attending the Masses is meant to show devotion to God and heightened anticipation for Christ's birth, and folk belief holds that God grants the special wish of a devotee that hears all nine Masses."
Christmas Eve: ("Bisperas ng Pasko") "on 24 December is celebrated with the Midnight Mass, and the traditional Noche Buena feast. Family members dine together at around midnight on traditional yuletide fare, which includes: queso de bola (Spanish: "ball of cheese", which is edam cheese) sealed with red wax; tsokoláte, pasta, fruit salad, pandesal, relleno and hamón (Christmas ham). Some families also open presents at this time."
Holy Innocents' Day or Childermas: "commemorated on 28 December as Niños Inocentes. Filipinos celebrate the day by playing practical jokes on one another, similar to April Fool's Day. One of the widely practiced pranks on this day is to borrow money without the intention of paying it back. Creditors are usually helpless in getting remuneration from the borrower, and are instead forewarned not to lend money on this day. Victims of such pranks are called out to: "Na-Niños Inocentes ka!"
"On 31 December 31 ("Bisperas ng Bagong Taon"), Filipino families gather for the Media Noche – a midnight feast that also supposedly symbolises their hopes for prosperity in the coming year.
Filipinos make noise both to greet the New Year and in the belief that the din casts out malevolent spirits. In spite of the yearly ban, people in most towns and cities light firecrackers, with safer methods of merrymaking being banging on pots and pans and blowing car horns. Other traditions and beliefs include encouraging children to jump at the stroke of midnight to increase their height, displaying circular fruit, wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs to symbolise money, eating twelve grapes at midnight for good luck in the twelve months of the year, and opening all windows and doors on New Year's Day to let in blessings."
Feast of the Black Nazarene: "Since 2011, the Catholic Church mandated that the season end on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, held on either the Monday after Epiphany or the second Sunday of the year. Final festivities are held on 8 and 9 January with processions of the miraculous Black Nazarene in Manila and Cagayan de Oro. These are in honour of the image's 1787 traslación (transfer) to its present shrine in its basilica in Quiapo District, which was then a separate town."
Caroling: "In the Philippines, children in small groups go from house to house singing Christmas carols, which they call
pangangaroling. Makeshift instruments include tambourines made with
tansans (aluminum bottle caps) strung on a piece of wire. With the traditional chant of "Namamasko po!", these carolers wait expectantly for the homeowners to reward them with coins. Afterward, the carolers thank the generous homeowners by singing "Thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo (you are so kind), thank you!"
An example of a traditional Filipino carol is from a series known as "Maligayang Pasko":
Maligayang Pasko (Tagalog) Merry Christmas (English)
To the householder our greeting is:
"A Glorious Merry Christmas!"
Love, if it will reign,
[then] every day will be Christmas always!
Chorus:
The cause of [our] coming here
is to ask for gifts.
If it is such that we're a bother,
Do be patient since we're soliciting for Christmas!
The Philippines has the distinction of celebrating Christmas longer than any other country in the world. Even last month, in mid September, stores in Manila were starting to play Christmas carols and sell Christmas decorations. The celebration will go on for about 4 months all told, ending on the 3rd Sunday in January, which is the Feast of Santo Nino de Cebu. Well, when in Rome ... so in the (extremely early) spirit of things, I've gone ahead and put up the apartment Christmas decorations, as shown in the above photos.
In case you're interested, here are some of the Filipino Christmas traditions which take place during that 4 month celebration period:
"Simbang Gabi (Filipino: Night Mass; Spanish: Misa de Gallo, "Rooster's Mass") is a novena of dawn Masses from 16 December to Christmas Eve. The Simbang Gabi is practised mainly by Catholics and Aglipayans, with some Evangelical Christian and independent Protestant churches having adopted the practise of having pre-Christmas dawn services. Attending the Masses is meant to show devotion to God and heightened anticipation for Christ's birth, and folk belief holds that God grants the special wish of a devotee that hears all nine Masses."
Christmas Eve: ("Bisperas ng Pasko") "on 24 December is celebrated with the Midnight Mass, and the traditional Noche Buena feast. Family members dine together at around midnight on traditional yuletide fare, which includes: queso de bola (Spanish: "ball of cheese", which is edam cheese) sealed with red wax; tsokoláte, pasta, fruit salad, pandesal, relleno and hamón (Christmas ham). Some families also open presents at this time."
Holy Innocents' Day or Childermas: "commemorated on 28 December as Niños Inocentes. Filipinos celebrate the day by playing practical jokes on one another, similar to April Fool's Day. One of the widely practiced pranks on this day is to borrow money without the intention of paying it back. Creditors are usually helpless in getting remuneration from the borrower, and are instead forewarned not to lend money on this day. Victims of such pranks are called out to: "Na-Niños Inocentes ka!"
"On 31 December 31 ("Bisperas ng Bagong Taon"), Filipino families gather for the Media Noche – a midnight feast that also supposedly symbolises their hopes for prosperity in the coming year.
Filipinos make noise both to greet the New Year and in the belief that the din casts out malevolent spirits. In spite of the yearly ban, people in most towns and cities light firecrackers, with safer methods of merrymaking being banging on pots and pans and blowing car horns. Other traditions and beliefs include encouraging children to jump at the stroke of midnight to increase their height, displaying circular fruit, wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs to symbolise money, eating twelve grapes at midnight for good luck in the twelve months of the year, and opening all windows and doors on New Year's Day to let in blessings."
Feast of the Black Nazarene: "Since 2011, the Catholic Church mandated that the season end on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, held on either the Monday after Epiphany or the second Sunday of the year. Final festivities are held on 8 and 9 January with processions of the miraculous Black Nazarene in Manila and Cagayan de Oro. These are in honour of the image's 1787 traslación (transfer) to its present shrine in its basilica in Quiapo District, which was then a separate town."
Caroling: "In the Philippines, children in small groups go from house to house singing Christmas carols, which they call pangangaroling. Makeshift instruments include tambourines made with tansans (aluminum bottle caps) strung on a piece of wire. With the traditional chant of "Namamasko po!", these carolers wait expectantly for the homeowners to reward them with coins. Afterward, the carolers thank the generous homeowners by singing "Thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo (you are so kind), thank you!"
An example of a traditional Filipino carol is from a series known as "Maligayang Pasko":
Maligayang Pasko (Tagalog) Merry Christmas (English)
To the householder our greeting is:
"A Glorious Merry Christmas!"
Love, if it will reign,
[then] every day will be Christmas always!
Chorus:
The cause of [our] coming here
is to ask for gifts.
If it is such that we're a bother,
Do be patient since we're soliciting for Christmas!
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