When it comes to celebrating Christmas, there is no country that does it as grand as the Philippines. With our festivities beginning as early as September 1 and stretching up to the first weeks of January, it is said that we observe the longest Christmas on Earth. This season also coincides with the start of what we like to refer to as the “BER” months. During this time, the Christmas spirit can be felt everywhere you go - Jose Mari Chan classics start playing on the radio, extravagant Christmas decorations and trees placed all over malls, beautiful parols that light up the streets at night. Although I grew up exposed to this tradition of celebrating a four-month-long Christmas, I’ve always wondered where it began and how it all started. Here’s why.
One may say that this practice is rooted in the Catholic beliefs of Filipinos. However, according to the Liturgical Calendar, the Advent Season starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which falls in late November or early December. On the other hand, some would even call this a huge marketing stunt by large establishments and manufacturers. Considering the amount of money we spend to buy gifts for our loved ones and ingredients for our Noche Buena, it does make sense how companies would take advantage of this season to generate more profit. But for Filipinos, Christmas is much more than just this.
Christmas allows us to reunite with our loved ones, especially for Filipinos that live outside their hometowns. The joy and overwhelm of families getting back together, including workers and students from abroad, has led many to prepare for the holiday months in advance. This also gives family members who haven’t seen each other all year round a chance to bond over good food., with food being one of the most important highlights of the season. Some of these delicacies include lechon (whole roast pig), pancit malabon (stir-fried noodle dish), pinoy-style spaghetti, and bibingka (sweet rice cake).
2020 hasn’t been the most normal year and this definitely won’t be the most normal Christmas either. There may be no single, definite reason as to why this tradition started, but celebrating this holiday season longer has certainly allowed us to show that we appreciate the people around us a little bit more. Let’s take this holiday season to press pause from this hectic year to be thankful for everything we have.
Story by Eunso Im
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