Christmas Traditions in the Philippines

It’s finally December! Now that the busy semester has wrapped up, it’s now time to enjoy Christmas celebrations with our families and friends. A time for rest, relaxation, and a bit of fun! In the Philippines, we celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways, such as our unique traditions that are held every year. As Filipinos, we love this year-end holiday so much that it’s only right that we enjoy it with several traditions, no? In this article, we will go through some of the many traditions that are often followed through during the joyous Christmas season in the Philippines.

Starting off with a yearly Christmas tradition that’s held in the church, Simbang Gabi. Simbang Gabi is a Filipino tradition that involves Catholics attending night masses for nine days straight. Linked with this is the Misa de Gallo, which is usually attended on Christmas eve. Both of these traditions are usually held on the preceding days before Christmas, and ending on the 24th.

Next on the list, we have noche buena. Noche Buena is one of the most widely practiced traditions in the Philippines, which is basically a dinner with family and friends on the night of the 24th. Gathering close relatives and friends together with Filipino Christmas cousines, this tradition allows families to spend the evening with laughter, music, and food.

Third, we have Parol and Caroling. Parol, a star-shaped lantern, is often hung around as ornaments and decoration during the Christmas season. This lantern is made out of wood (traditionally bamboo), and is wrapped in colorful paper. It symbolizes a lot of things, one of them being the light in the darkness. During the Christmas season, events such as the Festival of Lights (San Fernando) use lanterns like the parol, to light up the night sky. Following this, we have caroling. Though it isn’t done by everyone, it is a common sight in the Philippines. This tradition involves families or a group, in which they visit houses and sing Filipino Christmas songs. After doing so, they often receive money after their musical number from the house they visited.

There are plenty of Christmas traditions in the Philippines, and none any less than the other. During this Christmas season, we celebrate joy, religion, connection, and most importantly, family! Though this article was only able to give you a glimpse of Filipino traditions during the chilly months, Christmas traditions in the Philippines are lively and are truly something to be remembered. May you enjoy a wonderful and exciting Christmas break!

Written by: Kirsten Jedidiah Villamor, CRS Newsletter

Photo by: Ike Jamilla, "Parol", https://themixedculture.com/2013/12/15/parol-filipino-christmas/