The Holiday Season everybody has been waiting for in the Philippines

-
SM City Cebu 

Time flies too fast indeed and it’s Christmas time once again, particularly in the Philippines. But what is really the essence of the Christmas Celebrations to us Catholics? 

We’ve been celebrating Christmas from time immemorial and still there are these questions that still linger in our mind: Why do we celebrate Christmas? What embodies the Christmas celebrations? 

Is it just a social - religious celebration in honor of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ? And now that the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, how do Filipinos celebrate Christmas? Or do this year’s or future Christmas celebrations be the same as they were before the global health crisis? 

In this post, we will try to find out how people, the Filipino Catholics in particular, celebrate Christmas after being confined to our homes due to COVID-19 restrictions? 

In this post, we will try to find out how people, the Filipino Catholics in particular, celebrate Christmas now that our social life is back to pre-pandemic.

The Philippines is just one of only two countries in Southeast Asia whose people are predominantly Catholics and celebrate big Catholic festivities such as Christmas. 

The country holds the record as one of the few Catholic countries around the world with the grandest and longest celebration of the Christmas Season beginning on the very first day of September of every year. 

Just a few weeks before the first day of September, memes of iconic Christmas songs singers, particularly that of Mr Jose Mari Chan whose Christmas songs resonate well and are loved by the Filipinos. 

With his soothing voice and charm, the Filipinos can’t help but be captivated and fall in love with his Christmas songs as has already started serenading us with his melodic Christmas songs. 

Other Filipino singers whose Christmas songs are loved by the Filipinos are Gary Valenciano, Ariel Rivera, Levi Celerio, Viktoria, Lara de Leon, and Jo Anne Lorenzana, Apo Hiking Society, Janet Arnaiz, Sylvia La Torre, Freddie Aguilar, and many others. 

His and other Christmas song singers fill the airwaves as it has been a tradition by radio station disc jockeys to play Christmas songs on the very first day of September throughout the Christmas Season.
SM City Cebu

There are a lot of pre-Christmas festivities awaiting Filipino revelers as the Christmas draw closer like the mall sales, Christmas-theme entertainment held in malls, hotels, public plazas, in schools, in workplaces and even street entertainment. 

These festivities are performed by local and international celebrities. In malls, public markets, schools, homes and even in public buses and jeepneys. Melodic Christmas songs are also played in malls to lighten up the mood and to feel the spirit of the Christmas season among shoppers. 

No doubt, Filipinos love singing. They sing when they are happy or sad. During a town, city or barangay feast celebration in the Philippines, singing contests are always on top of the festivities. Any social celebration and gathering would not be complete without singing. 

There is this embedded culture of the Filipinos to hang out with friends after work or after a task has been successfully completed. And as a form of celebration there will always be karaoke singing. 

Regardless of if you are gifted with a golden voice or not, the Filipinos would grab a mic and sing. Other occasions that singing is always birthday celebrations, wedding receptions, graduation celebrations, Christmas and New Year celebrations, christening of a baby, and even funerals there will always be singing. 

Despite the challenges that come our way like the soaring prices of basic necessities, particularly rice and the challenges brought about by natural disasters like typhoons, flooding, the looming drought to be brought about by the El Nino phenomenon and other natural disasters, the spirit of Christmas among Filipinos never waned. 

The spirit of the Holiday Season still pervades in this small yet beautiful, culture-rich country of the Philippines. Challenges in life have never been the hindrance for the Filipinos to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

 With our social life back to normal due to the pandemic restrictions, what can we expect in this year’s Christmas’ and New Year’s celebrations? Well, no doubt, this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations will be as festive and merry as they were in the past celebrations. 

The Filipino Catholics have been eagerly waiting for these Christmas and New Celebrations. Gone were the days where we could only ponder and imagine things that we used to do like Malling, dining out with family members and friends, watching entertainment shows by local and foreign artists. 

Christmas revelers can now go to their desired destinations unrestricted. We can now attend Christmas parties in schools, workplaces, and even street parties. 

In person shopping, partying, caroling and other festivities are now possible without the fear of getting infected with the deadly covid-19 virus. 

The essence of Christmas is beyond its physical celebrations. Every time Christmas comes, we can’t help but feel euphoric and grateful for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. 

Everyone feels the same way, regardless of socioeconomic status, gender and age. The essence of Christmas celebration embodies the virtue of giving, sharing, and loving among us.



 
Author: Samuel A. Escabarte, a Filipino licensed English language and literature teacher whose hobbies include singing, reading, writing, traveling, and sharing my country's diverse, rich culture. All photos taken and courtesy of SM City Cebu

Popular posts from this blog

Lomboy (Black Plums) Leaves: The Poor Man's Cigarettes

-
Image
In today's blog, we'll talk about the Lomboy tree and its many uses from its fruits, wood, and leaves. These trees grow not only in the Philippines but also in other tropical countries in Asia. In the Philippines, Lomboy trees grow well with any type of soil be it in rural or urban areas. Wood  The Lomboy tree wood is used as reliable materials for building houses, furniture such as tables, chairs, and other house furniture.  Lomboy Fruits Lomboy fruits are sweet, purple in color, and oblong in shape. Unfortunately, children cannot easily get their fruits as these trees grow bigger and taller. Aside from its tasty fruits, black plums fruits also have health benefits. Black plums fruits are packed with vitamin c, iron, and magnesium, and other nutrients.  In the Philippines, some fully-grown trees grow as high as 30-40 meters in height. With its size it would be hard for children to get its fruits. Lomboy Leaves  The Lomboy leaves have been used by the Filipinos espec...
Read more

Paninilbihan (Servitude): A Traditional Filipino Courtship Custom

-
Image
 Another traditional courtship custom that used to be popular among Filipino men for its unique, marriage-like setup is ‘ Paninilbihan’ or servitude in the English language. Paninilbihan is just one of the many traditional Filipino courtship customs which used to be observed and practiced by Filipino suitors to help them win Filipina women’s hearts and at the same time to prove their sincerity and patience to the women they are trying to woo.  In this particular courtship tradition, the suitor stays in the house of a woman he is courting for a particular period of time. Throughout the Paninilbihan period, the man would do various farm and household chores while being observed by both the woman he is courting and her parents. The duration of Paninilbihan (Servitude) may vary depending on the suitor and the parents of the woman. The Paninilbihan is a perfect opportunity for both the woman’s family and her suitor if they could get along with one another based on the relationship ...
Read more

Knowing the 4 wild fruits in the Philippines

-
Image
Not too many people know that the Philippines are abundant not only with tasty, tropical fruit trees but also with wild fruit trees.  Ironically, most of these wild fruits are not found in the wild but are found and grown in densely populated residential areas such as in the backyard and even along the roads. And contrary to the popular belief, most of these fruits can be eaten without having to worry about fruit poisoning.  These wild fruits are favorite among Filipino children because aside from the excitement of racing to get these fruits, they are also good to satisfy a hungry stomach.  Below are just some of the wild fruits found in the Philippines:  Aratiles/cherry trees Aratiles are fruit-bearing wild trees found mostly in residential areas. Its fruits are favorite for birds and children alike. Its fruits’ color differs depending on the ripeness of the fruits.  Aratiles fruits are very small, soft, and sweet. Ripe fruits are colored pink and turn re...
Read more