Yuletide season is just around the corner. But for some countries, like the Philippines, it already started.
Despite the current global situation we have, we can never let this pandemic ruin the spirit of joy and giving. Christmas is near and so the holiday shopping and preparations. But in the Philippines, the Christmas Season started two months ago.
In the Philippine settings, you will easily notice that Christmas Season started when you look around the malls or houses. You will see Christmas Trees decorated with sparkling lights and other ornaments, and, of course, the waves of holiday ads on television.
This tradition started a long time ago. Once the “BER” months begin, it’s time for the much-awaited time of the year for many Filipinos.
Philippines’ Christmas
The majority of the Philippine population are Roman Catholics. They celebrate Christmas on December 25, the date believed where Jesus Christ was born. Filipino religious, aside from attending Christmas Eve Mass, most of them are devoted to attending Night Mass or the so-called Simbang Gabi.
Simbang Gabi
It is a nine-day series of Novena Mass in preparation for the Birth of Jesus Christ. It starts from December 16 up to December 24. It is usually held at night or dawn for nine consecutive days. It is believed that this tradition started since the Spanish rule when farmers preferred to attend mass at dawn before heading to their farms to avoid the heat of midday.
Now, this tradition has been part of the Roman Catholic religion since then. Some people believed that when you completed the nine days of Night Mass, your wish would be granted.
Puto Bungbong
Your nine-day Novena Mass of Simbang Gabi will not be complete without eating Philippine’s traditional Christmas snacks. Puto Bungbong is a rice cake steamed in bamboo dolled-up with shredded coconut, muscovado sugar, and margarine. It is a seasonal snack during this time of the year when after attending the Simbang Gabi, patriots headed towards its vendors just outside the church.
Parol
Ever wondered what those colorful and sparkling ornaments are hanging outside of the window houses of Filipinos? That is what they call, Christmas Lantern or in Filipino, the traditional Parol. It is one of the main-stay, decorative pieces for every Filipino household. Parol symbolizes that Christmas is already here. This tradition is much famous in the province of Pampanga.
San Fernando City, Pampanga is dubbed as the Christmas Lantern Capital of the Philippines. This is where the famous Parol started. Every year, they held a Christmas Lantern Festival, showcasing giant parols emblazoned with colorful materials.
Christmas Caroling
The holiday season will not be complete without someone, or somebody will serenade your house with beautiful Filipino Christmas songs. Christmas Carolling is one of the most prolonged holiday activities in the Philippines. It is usually a group of children singing outside your home with wonderful and fabulous Christmas carols.
Though this might be common elsewhere around the world, what makes here unique is that the instruments they use for carolling are usually made up from scratch. A tambourine improvised made from soda bottle caps stringed into a thick wire, a can of infant formula for an improvised drum, and mix it with their gentle voices for carolling is what makes it more significant and meaningful.
Christmas Around the World
Aside from the Philippines, we can also look at some of the famous and conventional traditions of celebrating this joyful holiday season.
In Europe, most of its countries started to celebrate Christmas from the first day of Advent. Advent, in the Catholic’s calendar, is a season of preparation for the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Coming of the Son of God in our world.
France: Le Reveillon de Noel
When you are in Paris during Christmas Eve, you will be surprised by how they celebrate the season with their banquets. Le Reveillon de Noel is numerous courses that could last long hours. In some regions of the country, they have their own and unique dishes to serve.
For starters in Paris, you will be served fresh oysters. But what is the highlight of the Reveillon is their Yule Log (Buche de Noel) a french sponge cake usually served during this time of the year, especially on Christmas Eve.
Germany: Nikolaus
If you are a good child throughout the year, you will receive a little from Nikolaus. But if you are naughty, you will receive a petty punishment. Nikolaus or St. Nicholas travels in the wee hours every December 6. He leaves small treats like sweets, coins, or toys for the good child. He usually travels in the Bavarian region.
He loves to play and treat children. In short, he is a loving guy who loves good children. But tagged along in his journey is Farmhand Rupert (Knecht Ruprecht), a guy who punished naughty children with his whip.
Norway: Festival of Lights
In one of the Scandinavian countries, Christmas for this country is a festival of light. During this time around, winter is in full swing, and you will easily notice it when the sun seems out by four in the afternoon, mantling the country by dark.
And since the discovery of electricity, the Christmas season has never been the same before. December 13 is one of the highlights of the season where the Feast of St. Lucia is celebrated.
She was called the Queen of Lights due to the old story that she helps Christians to go in hiding under the tunnel.
In the dark, she lights the way with her crown with candles. The said crown is made of lingonberry twigs with candles, and she carries a torch. Since then, she has become the symbol of light in Norway and became a permanent icon during this season.
Vatican City: Christmas Urbi et Orbi
What a way to spend the true spirit and meaning of Christmas is to attend the Pope’s Mass at the square of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve. Here, the Pope delivers his Urbi et Orbi, a papal speech and blessing for the people of Rome and around the world.
Here you can also wonder at the beauty of giant Christmas trees, and a Nativity of Jesus Christ displayed at the square.
Unlike in Europe, Asia has a little fraction of the Catholic population. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have their own Christmas traditions. Unlike in the Philippines where traditions are holy and kept preserved, there is one Asian country that celebrates Christmas in a commercialized way.
Japan: Kentucky Fried Chicken is a must
Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii or in English translation, Kentucky for Christmas. It has been a tradition at all Japanese dining tables during Christmas. Thanks to Takeshi Okawara who rolled-out this idea of having a red and white pale of Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmas.
In 1974, they rolled-out this idea in Japan, believing in filling the void of having a Christmas tradition in the country. According to Okawara, the success story of KFC for Christmas started when Takeshi Okawara heard some dine-in foreign customers miss the turkey chicken, In the middle of the night, he woke up from a dream and he wrote down his idea for Party Barrel.
With the hope that KFC could make somehow a good substitute for turkey, the reception of this idea was overwhelming, and it continues to be part of the tradition in Japan ever since.
The USA: Eggnogs and Gingerbreads
In the United States, the Christmas season is being ushered by Thanksgiving day. A turkey chicken is the star of every American table. Aside from that, you will also notice houses decorated with Christmas Trees, good old stockings hanging in their fireplace, and more.
You can never miss out on sipping eggnog, a popular drink during Christmas in the US. Eggnog originated in the UK as a posset sort. It’s a mixture of warm milk with ale or sometimes wine or even spices.
Gingerbread house also became part of the American tradition since then, but like the eggnog, it originated from the other country. The gingerbread houses originated in Germany. Here you can make a gingerbread house by edifying cookies as a wall to build a house and by adding edible foils making it more Christmassy.
Every country has its unique way of celebrating Christmas, whether they are catholic or non-Catholic. The joyful spirit that the season brings gives a loving and warm feeling to everyone ending up like Christmas Season is the season for everyone regardless of who you are.
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