PASKO
SA AMING BAYANG PILIPINAS
CHRISTMAS
IN THE PHILIPPINES
TAYO AY MANGAGSIAWIT
NG MAGAGANDANG HIMIG...
Let's sing beautiful hymns.
Music is an integral part of the Filipino way of life. It is no wonder that Christmas
is celebrated with the simplest and grandest of music: like the pealing
of church bells, and the sounds of Christmas carols, old and new, on the
air, everywhere. Filipino artists almost always come out with new Christmas
records or CDs every year.
Caroling
is part of the Filipino Christmas' fine traditions. People band together:
friends, officemates, church groups, choirs, even streetkids. Sometimes
known as cumbancheros
, they knock on the doors of many a home, singing carols, bringing good
cheers and wishes for happy holidays. In return, kind souls give
them coins or a few pesos, or even some Christmas treats.
In keeping with the tradition of giving, Filipinos organize and/or participate
in Kris Kringles, or 'Exchange Gifts'. This may be done among schoolmates, officemates,
friends or even relatives. Mechanics or rules of exchanging vary.
Some can be as simple as pooling gifts which are later on raffled off to the participants.
Others start off several weeks ahead of gift-giving time, usually a
Christmas party; participants pick out a name as their monito or monita,
and small, sometimes tricky, items are given to the
monito/monita weekly (frequency depends on the rules) according
to agreed-upon themes (something small, something soft, etc.).
The identity of the giver is known only at 'Revelation', when the more
meaningful gift is also given.
