Pinoy Christmas, Still The Best Christmas Ever!

I am writing this on the last day of November. I still do not have any idea for a topic for my blog. And it just dawned on me. Its December 01 tomorrow why not write something about Christmas. And not just about any Christmas but THE PINOY CHRISTMAS!!! And my creative writing  juices just kept on flowing afterwards.

Yes the Pinoy Christmas! Christmas here in the Philippines is incomparable in this world. Nothing can match the spirit of Christmas here in the Philippines to any Christmas in any countries in the world. So let us look at how the world celebrate Christmas first before we go to the Pinoy Christmas.

CHINA. In China Christmas is not an official holiday so most schools, offices and shops remain open on Christmas day. Most Chinese do not honor the religious roots of Christmas, being the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This is understandable because China is not a Christ believing nation. But statistics shows that there are 16 million Chinese Christians in China in year 2005, and this Christian minority do go to Church services on Christmas day.

MALAYSIA. Celebration of Christmas in Malaysia is strictly commercial in nature. Christian overtones of the celebrations are not allowed. The national government strictly do not allow Christian symbols and songs that mention Jesus Christ.

ISRAEL. Israeli Arabs and Muslims do not celebrate Christmas. Ironically Israel is the birthplace of of our Lord Jesus Christ but it is the same country who dishonors our Lord Jesus. 

UNITED STATES. In the US they call Christmas Eve as "The Night Before Christmas". Most of Americans believe in Santa Claus. He is said to be visiting homes leaving gifts while children are asleep during the night before Christmas. Christmas stockings are hanged around the house. And traditionally children leaves a glass of milk and a plate of cookies beside the Christmas tree for Santa.

GERMANY. In Germany, Germans celebrate St. Nicholas' Day on December 6th. It is believed that it is Santa who puts goodies in children's shoes. Santa can also be seen on that day to be visiting kindergarten schools all over Germany. For the kids to get candies and gifts they have to sing a song for Santa first.

RUSSIA. In Russia, Russians celebrate Christmas day on January 7th than on December 25th. This is due to the 13 day difference between the Gregorian calendar and the Julian Calendars. Christmas eves are celebrated with long Church services, including the Royal Hours and vespers combined with the divine liturgy. After the long service the family returns home and consumes the Christmas Meal "The Holy Supper", which consist of 12 dishes each dish in honor of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.

So that's how the world (well some of it) celebrate Christmas. What have you noticed with the celebrations? Mostly NOT FUN at all. And at a glance you could see how totally distinct Christmas is celebrated here in the Philippines. Here are the reasons why The Filipino Christmas is the most unique Christmas ever!

PHILIPPINES. Christmas is the biggest holiday celebration in the Philippines. The Philippines holds the title of having the longest Christmas celebration in the world! Christmas songs can be heard on radios as early as September 01. Which is the start of the "BER" months. Meaning months ending in "ber". Namely September, October, November and December. Its like a monthly countdown to December which is the Christmas month.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES SO UNIQUE? Here are the wonderful reasons, read on.

KAROLING. This is the local version of Christmas Caroling in the states. A group of children come together as a group. They will get bottlecaps or "tanzans" and flatten them string it on a piece of wire and they have an instant tamborine. If they are creative enough they will get an empty can of milk punch a hole on the middle top of the can then put small stones in it and a stick to cover the hole and they have a maracas. This karoling activity is the signal that Christmas is around the corner. Kids usually start their karoling at the last week of November. These kids can be quite annoying at first since sometimes they sing out of tune and most of the time they just blur the forgotten  lyrics just to finish the song. And they are not just singing they are also shouting at the top of their voice! And their most favorite song are Jingle Bells (pronounced as jingambells) and their favorite finale song is  this...TENKYU, THENKYU ANG BABAIT NINYO, TENKYU! (meaning: thank you you are all so kind) but if they were pissed by the homeowner by shoving them away without giving them any money they will get back to them by singing...TENKYU, TENKYU, ANG BABARAT NINYO TENKYU (meaning: thank you you are all stingy!). Then they runaway fast while laughing and do the same routine to the next house. Annoying (sometimes) but cute.

SIMBANG GABI. Or Midnight Mass. This is a Filipino catholic tradition that started way back during the Spanish era in the Philippines. In Spanish it is called "Misa De Gallo" or Rooster's Mass or "Misas de Aguinaldo" or Gift Masses. Simbang Gabi is a nine day dawn or early morning masses.  Usually the mass starts at 5:00 am and ends at 6:00 am. Simbang gabi starts on December 16 and ends on Christmas eve. Simbang Gabi is mostly said in the Tagalog language. Why does the Simbang gabi a favorite among the Filipinos. Traditionally they say if a mass goer goes to every dawn mass for nine days straight without fail or absent the mass goer will receive a gift or a wish long wanted will be granted on Christmas eve. This is also a favorite excuse for young lovers to meet in church for a secret date for 9 days without suspicion from the strict parents. That is simbang gabi.

PUTO BUMBONG. One reason why mass goers come to simbang gabi it is because of this favorite Filipino delicacy most popular only during Christmas Season it is the PUTO BUMBONG. Puto Bumbong is a rice cake (puto) steamed in tubes (bumbong) over stove top steamers or sometimes sellers use the traditional kalan na de uling or charcoal heated stove to cook these yummy treat. The aroma of these puto bumbong are so delicious that church goers are distracted by it. They could hardly concentrate on the mass because of the aroma lingering from the outside the church. These delicacies are served with hot tea and usually butter is spread over the cake. Taste like a piece of heaven.

BIBINGKA. Here is another favorite Filipino dish best consumed during Christmas time. This is the BIBINGKA! This is also a rice cake best cooked / baked in hot charcoal. One of the most unique features of bibingka is on how they traditionally cook this. The bibinka is actually ground rice in liquid form. They will pour a scoop of the liquid in a clay pan with a banana leaf liner. Then the clay pan will be placed over a clay stove with hot charcoals in it and on top of the pan a sheet of flat iron with burning charcoal on it is placed over the clay pan. This is for even cooking from top to bottom. Bibingka is best eaten with hot chocolate on the side, butter spread on top of the bibingka and shreded coconut is sprinkled generously over it. There are some varieties for the bibinka and among them is my favorite the Bibingkang Galapong. It's made of liquified ground rice and served hot with sliced salted eggs on top of the cake. Taste like heaven

THE BELEN. Another reason why Pinoy Christmas is so unique is because of how we celebrate it. We give great importance to the reason for the season. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every Filipino knows if asked why we celebrate Christmas and the automatic answer you will get is "Kasi bertday ni Jesus!".  That is why we have belens at home. Belens are the miniaturized statues of the Nativity. Where the main cast of this is the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. If a family will be elaborate enough this will include the angel, the shepherds, some barn animals, and the three wise men. I remember when I was still a kid my family and I used to enjoy taking out our belen  and finding the perfect spot to place our belen. Our belen gives us comfort that we are on the right track in celebrating Christmas because we commemorate this by remembering the real reason for celebrating Christmas...it is because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PAROL. What makes Christmas in Philippines so colorful it is because of the Parol or Christmas Lantern. This is a unique Filipino Christmas decoration. Usually made of bamboo sticks shaped into a star and covered and decorated  with colorful Japanese paper as we call it. Some variety are wrapped in colorful plastic and foils. Pampanga, in Central Luzon, Philippines (my hometown) is best known for making beautiful parols. They can go as elaborate as possible with psychedelic lights and instead of paper or plastic they used flattened sea shells for  beautiful coverings. Here we have a festival called Ligligan Parol where the best parols are showcased and displayed in town and judged and the winner with the most beautiful parol will get a generous cash prize. Such fun.

NOCHE BUENA. What is most fun in Pinoy Christmas is the FOOD! On Christmas eve we have a Christmas dinner called Noche Buena. This dinner is consumed at the strike of 12 midnight Christmas eve. With the loud shout of "Merry Christmas!!!" The Noche Buena is the most prepared meal of the year because of Christmas. Foods like Lechon, Pancit, Fried chicken and Kalamay are the favorite staple of the dinner. Aside from the heavy meals is the favorite dessert of the Filipinos, the Fruit Salad. It is a mixed of cocktail fruits like pineapple sliced, apples, cherries, and papaya mixed with milk and sugar and frozen to perfection just in time for the Christmas dinner. Noche Buena is usually the prelude to the opening of gifts. And Noche Buena is exclusively celebrated by immediate family members only.

HAMON AT QUESO DE BOLA. What is Noche Buena without the star of the Noche buena, "The Hamon at Queso de Bola" or Ham and Cheese. This is a traditional dishes passed on by the Spaniards in the colonization era of the Philippines. We don't use just any ham or cheese. We prefer the expensive smoked hams and the cheese, the edam cheese of Spain, shaped like a ball. Noche Buena is more rich in tradition if these two foods are served during the celebrations. Plus if it is served with punch...juice with a dash of liquor...superb combination. These are what we call finger foods but in the Philippines there is no such thing as finger food everything is eaten with RICE. Rice and more rice. A meal in the Philippines is nothing if we do not have rice.

FAMILY REUNIONS. And the best reason of all why Pinoy Christmas is the best in the world is because of this. The celebrations are mostly centered in Family Reunions. Filipino Families take advantage of the Christmas time to come together and have fun together. We love to celebrate and give thanks for all the graces and blessing the family received in the year that is about to end. We love to exchange stories of our happy past when we were still kids in the old house. We love to laugh together. Cry together, And most especially sing together. And family reunions are not complete without the kids. The children who gives joy to the celebration. And they get to be the richest too because it is in these reunions they get lots of gifts and aguinaldos from their moms and dads and uncles and aunties. And most especially the Lolos and Lolas. It is also during these family reunions that we not only honor and thank God for everything it is also the perfect time to honor our parents. By giving them gifts and thanking them for all their hardships in bringing us all up even in the hardest times. That is why Family reunions are the best in the Philippines.

Those, my friends, are the reasons why The Pinoy Christmas is the best in the world. It is warm. Happy. Joyful. Fun. I hope your Christmas will be as fun as our Pinoy Christmas.

SO, HERE IS TO A MERRY PINOY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. 

MALIGAYANG PASKONG PINOY SA INYONG LAHAT!