Christmas Traditions That Only Filipinos Can Relate
Filipino Christmas customs
Every country has its own set of Yuletide traditions, but the Filipinos excel at it. After all, we have been celebrating Christmas longer than any other country on the planet. We’re bound to have more traditions than usual with such a long holiday.
With Christmas fast approaching, we’re here to remind you of everything you can expect during a traditional Filipino Christmas season.
1. Starting Christmas in the -ber months
If you look up “longest Christmas season in the world”, the Philippines will come up as a result. For most people, Christmas begins in December. Christmas, on the other hand, begins in September for Filipinos.
There isn’t a textbook explanation for why we celebrate Christmas so early, but there are some theories. Perhaps it’s because of our predominantly Catholic beliefs, but advent doesn’t begin until December.
2. Setting up a Belen
Nativity scenes, also known as belen, are only displayed in churches or other religious buildings in most countries. However, in the Philippines, it is commonplace. During the holiday season, every Filipino household will have one set up.
A complete set includes baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings, and every barn animal you can think of, but many belens leave out the last two because they aren’t as important. You’ll see them in schools, building lobbies, and homes, whether they’re made of original porcelain or recycled materials. Some schools and barangays even hold competitions for the best belen, which results in some extravagant displays.
3. Adorning buildings and posts with a parol
Everyone is familiar with Christmas lights, but the Philippines has the parol, a Christmas ornament that is unique to our country. Traditionally, parols are shaped like a large circle with a star in the center, but you can also choose from other designs such as stars and flowers. It can also be made of various materials such as plastic, wire, wood, and even recyclable materials.
The parol was originally designed to hang on lampposts to direct crowds to Simbang Gabi, but they can now be found everywhere, including outside homes, malls, and offices.
4. Attending Simbang Gabi
Simbang Gabi translates to “night mass,” which is exactly what it is. For nine days up to Christmas, Filipinos attend mass late at night or in the early hours of the morning. We try to complete all nine days as a religious practice and because it is believed that attending all nine masses will grant you a wish.
Churches are decorated for the season, and vendors often sell local Christmas goods like bibingka and puto bumbong outside after the mass.
5. Indulging in Christmas food like bibingka and puto bumbong
Staying up or getting up for Simbang Gabi may cause you to become agitated, but a serving of bibingka and puto bumbong should do the trick and calm you down. These are the two most popular and well-liked Christmas treats among Filipinos.
Both are rice cake variations – bibingka is baked in clay pots and leaves, while puto bumbong is steamed in bamboo tubes.
6. Caroling from house to house
In most countries, Christmas caroling entails a full-fledged production involving good vocals, coordinated outfits, instruments, and well-rehearsed Christmas tunes. It’s turned into a farcical situation for us.
Beginning in early December, Filipino children and adults alike go from house to house. Recycled instruments and made-up lyrics replace lyric books and Christmas costumes. Caroling, from the a-brim-bram-brooms to the jinggom bells, is a sure sign that Christmas is approaching.
7. Attending Misa de Gallo on Christmas Eve
Sunday masses are routine, but everything is extra special at Christmas. Misa de Gallo, the Christmas mass attended by the majority of Filipinos, differs from regular Sunday mass. It’s a festival that includes candle lighting, projector displays, and sometimes a reenactment of the story of how baby Jesus was born.
Misa de Gallo is also the first mass after Simbang Gabi’s nine days. It is said that if you attend all nine days of Simbang Gabi, you will be able to make a wish during Misa de Gallo.
8. Waking up for Noche Buena
Most people eat their Christmas dinner either on Christmas Eve or Christmas night, but Filipinos often wake up at midnight to welcome Christmas day with Noche Buena, a lavish feast of traditional Filipino Christmas dishes like lechon, queso de bola, hamon, spaghetti, and fruit salad.
Most Filipino families are also separated for the majority of the year, with children attending college and parents traveling abroad for work. We also look forward to the mundane act of preparing Noche Buena because it allows us to prepare meals and cook as a family.
9. Manito-Manita
The traditional way of exchanging gifts is tedious, so we added a Filipino twist to it. Not only must you find the perfect gift for your manita or manito, but you must also describe them, have everyone guess who it is, and sing the classic I Love My Manita/Manito Yes I Do song before presenting your gift.
It may appear to be a lot of work, but ’tis the season of giving, and it’s a joy to see how happy everyone is with all their gifts.
10. Awaiting Aguinaldo or Pamasko
This is for the kids who spend the entire season looking for their ninangs and ninongs. Unwrapping gifts is exciting, but receiving a red envelope is even more so. Gifted by godparents to their godchildren, the money in these ang pao is frequently used for savings or a nice Christmas treat for yourself. We should never forget to be grateful, whether we receive P20s or the big blue ones.
11. Waking up for Media Noche
For us Filipinos, Christmas does not end on December 25th. While most people celebrate the new year with friends, our family-centered culture observes one more lavish feast – Media Noche. Because circles are thought to bring good fortune, the table is usually adorned with food formed into round shapes and an assortment of 12 round fruits.
Aside from that, there’s also the belief that making loud noises will keep bad spirits out of the new year, so we make as much noise as we can when the clock strikes midnight – whether it’s with car alarms, instruments, a torotot, or sparklers and firecrackers.
12. Ending Christmas in January with the Feast of the Three Kings
Christmas, according to our priests, does not end until January. The Feast of the Three Kings, also known as the Epiphany, commemorates the arrival of the Three Kings at Jesus’ manger. It’s also the final day of our lengthy Christmas season. Because Epiphany falls on the first Sunday of January, Christmas continues well into the new year.
Christmas traditions in the Philippines
We may not be making snow angels or wearing thick coats and scarves for Christmas, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know how to have a good time. Though the Yuletide is well-known for its snowy and winter celebrations, our sunny, tropical country and Christmas traditions make the holiday season bright and warm.
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