I haven’t celebrated Christmas outside the Philippines (yet). Not that I didn’t have a chance to; in fact, I was recently asked to spend it in Thailand with someone special to me, but I had to say no.
There really is nothing like celebrating it in my country.
There are a number of reasons why I love Christmas in the Philippines. Here are just some of them.
For Filipinos, any kind of celebration involves a huge amount of food, and it’s the same with Christmas. Even the poorest of the poor would try hard to come up with some kind of Christmas fare to share with the family, even if it’s just rice and noodles.
Our standard Christmas fare.
The middle-class and the rich, of course, would have a range of dishes on their table, from the ever-present lechon (roasted pig) to a number of meat-based dishes.
Back when I was still a pescatarian (seafood diet only), I had a hard time during the holidays. My family would always include one seafood dish, of course, but everything else would be meat.
Once December rolls, packs of children would make their rounds in the neighborhood singing Christmas carols. The tune and accuracy of the lyrics leave much to be desired, and sometimes they seem to be on fast-forward mode to cover more houses before they’re called back by their parents, but in general, I love hearing them outside my house.
I keep a lot of one-peso coins around to give to the kids, and usually, when they receive it, they would just go through their thank-you spiel. Yesterday, however, as I was giving one kid their one peso, his friend excitedly asked him, “Wow, is it 5 pesos?” He was so disappointed when he saw the coin that I was tempted to give them more.
When I was a child, we would start decorating our house with Christmas lights and other decors as early as November. It was a tradition that we kept through the years. It really doesn’t feel Christmas until you see Christmas trees, nativity scenes, and Christmas lights all around you.
Christmas lights at Ayala. © Roslyn
When I moved to my own house, my mother bought me a small tree to decorate, too, but it didn’t last 10 minutes. My two cats, attracted by the shiny balls, toppled my tree in no time at all.
Elsewhere in the cities, though, festive lights are everywhere. I can’t wait to be home to my family and see our house all dolled up for the season!
In our family, we celebrate Christmas in the Philippines the traditional way. We go to Midnight Mass then eat the noche buena when the clock strikes 12.
Our family when our father was still with us.
Instead of opening our gifts that night, though, we reserve it for the annual family reunion on New Year’s Day, when various relatives would come to our house. There would be a program (speeches from selected heads of the family, singing, dancing, games) and at the end, I would usually hand out the gifts.
While it’s true that family get-togethers are very awkward for me (lots of relatives would always ask when I am getting married, or would tell me that I shouldn’t wait too long to have kids since I’m not getting any younger), I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
While I still can, I’m definitely spending Christmas in the Philippines with my family! Happy holidays, everybody!
Photo credit: Roslyn under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
21 Comments. Leave new
It is always a good thing to enjoy a Christmas with the family.
Great! Spending Christmas with family. Belated Merry Christmas to all of you. Yummy lechon.
Nothing beats christmas in the philippines! Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family, Aleah!
@ Frugal Expat: Agree 🙂 Merry Christmas!
@ Christine: I’ve also made it home for Christmas through the years, but I think it won’t be for long. Depends on where my life takes me, so I’m making the most of it now. Merry Christmas to you and your family, too!
Very lovely post, Aleah! Merry Christmas to you and your family and glad you chose to be with them.
In Hawaii, a lot of the children like to come home for the holidays. That’s the unconscious tradition if you’re born and raised in Hawaii (Obama is a true Hawaii guy). No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve always made it home for the holidays, with the exception of the year I had to teach in Korea during the holidays (my mom came up to stay with me). Xmas isn’t celebrated traditionally/ethnically as New Year will be for many of us. Not as symbolic, I guess.
I love spending Christmas in the Philippines. It is full of life and joy… 🙂
@ Mary: I’m glad the Filipino tradition is well and alive even in Guam. I know there’s a lot of Filipino migrants there. At least your kids know about the parol hehe Merry Christmas to you and your family!
This lovely post brings back some childhood memories, Aleah. I don’t remember a lot of things during my younger years in the Philippines but I do remember the carolers and food and spirit of family. We were lucky enough that my parents and relatives brought those traditions to Guam growing up. I loved learning about your family’s tradition. I had to laugh at your awkward family get-togethers. So famliar! Now, If I can only pass some of those traditions to my kids beyond the parol making 🙂 Maligayang Pasko , Aleah!
@ Bert: True 🙂 Merry Christmas po!
@ Dana Carmel: Happy Holidays to you and your family, Dana!
I love hearing about holiday traditions in other parts of the world. Thanks for giving insight into how your family celebrates in the Philippines. And the lechon looks AMAZING!
Nothing beats Christmas in Pinas. Merry Christmas!
@ Gelo: Here’s to an exciting 2014 for you and your family!
@ Cindy: My tree was only around 2 feet tall so they weren’t scared enough haha After the second time, the tree went to storage permanently!
Merry Christmas! Much of your Christmas doesn’t sound very different from Christmas here in the US. I had to laugh though – my cat also toppled my (fully decorated) first Christmas tree, but mine was 5 or 6 feet tall. What a mess! It must have scared the cat – she never seemed very interested in Christmas trees after that. Enjoy!
I literally uttered, WOW!!! even before reading this blog post (upon the sight of that lechon!)
I have no regrets on leaving my work permanently and spending the longest and happiest Christmas season in the world here!!!
Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon, Aleah!
More travels in 2014!
@ Freya: I agree wholeheartedly and wish I won’t have to celebrate it away from family in the future. Merry Christmas, Freya!
@ Marisol: Once you’re exposed to Christmas in the Philippines, it will really change your perspective about this season 🙂 Maligayang Pasko to you and Keith!
Hi Aleah, you make me homesick. With the Christmas being way too commercialized in the US, I always miss the true spirit of Christmas that we have in the Philippines. Having grown up in NY, Keith is not a fan of Christmas because of its commercialism. He got to appreciate its true spirit for the first time when we spent Pasko in the Philippines two years ago. He loved that it was all about family and food and, of course, the spirituality of it, and not about all about shopping. I hope to spend Pako in the Phiippines next year. And hope to have a chance to meet up with you in person:) Maligayang Pasko, Aleah!
I celebrated Christmas a few times away and I always hated it. There is only one place to celebrate Christmas which is at home with your family. Beautiful post. Merry Christmas Aleah.
@ Photo Cache: Hot choco is perfect for Media Noche! I love tablea!
@ Mike: Thanks, Mike. Filipinos overseas do try to keep their culture (and cooking). Say “kumusta” to them for me!
For starters and I mentioned this in a previous comment on your blog that I’m terribly sorry for the horrific disaster in your country. I also shared several months ago that my very close best friend, Hendrix, is from the Philippines! He was there for two weeks last year at Christmas and I got a complete debriefing on the entire trip. He’s not much in to taking pictures unfortunately and I was so bummed about that. But, that’s a big reason why I enjoy your blog so much is because I’ve literally gotten a huge country lesson about the Philippines from Hendrix. Then I can log on to your blog and get pictures and another Philippino’s perspective! Of course the favorite part he told me about was the FOOD!! OH MY GOSH. I’m always asking him to bring me some of his mom’s cooking (she lives here in the same town we do Reno, Nevada, USA). And I learned to speak a LITTLE bit of Tagalog! Loved this post, Aleah!! 🙂
It’s the family that makes the tradition more memorable. I miss spending it in PI too even though we had no tree or other decorations except for parol and that no presents were exchanged, except when inaanaks come to visit on xmas day we give money.
The standard fare at our table is a potful of steamy hot nilagang baka, queso de bola, a whole pata of jamon and pan desal. Then my mother would make her fabulous hot chocolate, which she got from her mother who has Spanish blood.
Merry Christmas!!!!