Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder

ANG PASKO AY SUMAPIT ...
Christmas is here.

Christmas in the Philippines comes right at the heels of the rainy season. In this archipelago of 7,107 islands, Yuletide begins unofficially when the first Christmas Carols break into the airwaves of September.  And why September? Well, September ends with 'BER', just like DecemBER ... The countdown to Christmas begins.

Anticipation for the holidays slowly permeate the air.  The shops and stalls, big or small, lay out their Christmas wares -- greeting cards, pine trees, trimmings, and the parol, the Philippine Christmas lantern. One might even chance to find these Yuletide items alongside Halloween trappings as well as candles and flowers for All Saints' Day and All Soul's Day, November 1 and 2, when the nation pauses to remember its dear departed. Once past this brief interlude, the holiday preparations move into a frenzied pace. All the city streets, building facades, homes and backyards are spruced up and the country erupts with another festival of lights.

Filipinos begin their treks to the malls, taking advantage of bargains and sales, mostly for gift giving and those new dresses, new pairs of shoes that are a 'must' for the holidays. Carnivals, featuring the latest in amusement rides, fun games, magic shows and more shopping stalls, sprout like mushrooms.

The Filipino Christmas is a merry mix of the old and the new, the religious and the commercial, native and Western elements.

The Christmas Tree is an imitation pine tree, mostly of plastic, sometimes of paper or twigs.  The real thing grows only in few places, and many Filipinos will never get to see one. Trimmings come in all shapes, sizes and colors: angels, balls, bells, stars, snowflakes, candy canes, twinkling lights, whatever. The variety is limited only by the imagination. Giant, well-lit and highly decorated trees are a sight to behold in parks, streets, building facades and more.

In this country where the temperature rarely drops below 15C even in the coolest months of December and January, Santa Claus is a familiar figure, along with his reindeers and elves. Instead of the mistletoe, there's the poinsettia, a plant with small yellow berries and leaves that turn red in time for the Holiday season.

Then there's the Belen, depicting that first Christmas, the Nativity Scene. Around eighty percent of Filipinos are Christians and Christmas is the most celebrated of all Church Holidays. The cast of the Belen varies: it usually shows the Baby Jesus in a manger, Mary, and Joseph, but may include an angel singing "Gloria in Excelsis Deo", shepherds, the Three Wise Men, donkeys, cows, sheep, and the Star of Bethlehem. The country's premier districts boast of shimmering, glimmering avenues made unique by the various executions of the Belen in lights and living colors.

The most popular symbol is the Parol, the Philippine representation for the Star of Bethlehem, which is normally hung outside the windows. Traditionally, the parol is made from bamboo sticks, tied to form a star, and on which colored paper or cellophane is pasted.  Now, there are parols made from cloth or capiz shells, parols of various shapes and sizes.  The best, biggest and brightest ones come with lights which blink and twinkle in dazzling patterns, and the annual parade of such lanterns is always an awaited event.