They say that Filipinos knows best when it comes to celebrating Christmas. If it happens that there will be a global competition for the celebration of Christmas, Philippines has an edge of winning the contest.
Going back into the history of Philippines, when the Spanish Colonization took place in the 16th to 19th century, the Filipino culture was greatly influenced with Christianity. According to the latest survey, almost 90% of the Filipinos are Christian believers where 80% of them follows the Catholic religion. To tell you, Christmas is actually celebrated by Christians throughout the world as a celebration to remember the time when Jesus Christ was born.
Filipinos celebrates Christmas in the Philippines by making early preparations. They start decorating their homes, offices, streets and other places starting from the early month of September.
Here's how Filipinos exactly celebrates Christmas:
The Month of September
September is two months away from the month of December but as I mentioned above, Filipinos tends to make early preparations for Christmas. Thus, you will start listening Christmas songs being played both on the radio and on the television on this early month of September.
Other than playing Filipino Christmas songs on various forms of medias, they are quite impressive when it comes to decorating their homes, offices and streets with Christmas lights and lanterns.
The Month of November
On the month of November, Filipinos starts on preparing for their Christmas parties. Thus, they end up spending their 13th month pay. You have to know that in the Philippines, there will be a sudden huge demand in all products in the market during the month of December. As a result, prices will rise which is the reason why some Filipinos makes early purchases in the month of November.
Overall, November is the month for planning and preparation for the upcoming month of the celebration of Christmas.
The Month of December
Finally, the whole month of December marks the celebration of Christmas.
December 1 to 25 (Caroling or "Karoling")
- Starting from the first day of the month of December, caroling already starts where a group of children or adult individuals goes around their neighbors. They then surprises them by singing Christmas songs right in front of their doors. As a reward, the owner of the house with either give them cash or snacks.
In most cases, you will get caroling visits at around 6 PM to 10 PM.
December 16 ( Church, Christmas Parties and Gift-Giving)
- At around the 16th of December, religious Filipinos attends the so called "Simbang Gabi" which is a daily Mass held for 9 days. Other than going into the Church, there are plenty of foods that are available around. Common delicious foods are "puto bumbong" (a sticky-sweet type of rice steamed inside a small bamboo tube), "bibingka" (rice cake) and "suman" (steamed rice wrapped with banana leaves).
The most interesting event on the 16th of December are the numerous Christmas parties that are being celebrated all over the country. It is also the start of exchanging or giving gifts to one another.
December 24 ( "Panunuluyan", Midnight Mass and "Noche Buena")
- The 24th of December is the grand celebration of Christmas. On this day, Filipinos tends to celebrate the so called "Panunuluyan" right on the Christmas Eve. They will have a re-enactment of the story on how Joseph and Mary journeyed into Bethlehem searching for a place for Mary to give birth to Jesus Christ.
A final Mass on Christmas Eve is also held from the Churches where it is often expected that a large number of people will attend especially on the last Mass before midnight.
Lastly, families, relatives and friends tends to gather around for the "Noche Buena". A festival meal where there's plenty of food that has been prepared for everyone to eat. Then after the Noche Buena, it's time for everyone to make exchanges of their presents.
December 25 (Visiting Family and Friends)
- The grand celebration of Christmas Holiday is actually on the 24th of December. Thus, 25th is all about visiting families, relatives and friends (who wasn't able to spend last night's celebration with you).
There are also plenty of food to eat which are left-over from the Noche Buena. And, it is still the right time to make exchanges of gifts.
December 28 ( Feast of the Innocent's Day)
- The 28th of December is like an "April Fool's Day" where you can tease your friends by playing pranks on them. Filipinos call this day as the "Ninos Inocentes".
December 31 ( Superstitious Beliefs)
- Filipinos are very superstitious people. Due to superstitions, they do believe that buying round fruits then displaying them on their tables or wearing clothes with a lot of circle designs can bring them good fortune. Round or circle actually symbolizes money.
Before the midnight of December's 31st day, Filipinos welcomes the New Year by making loud noises such as firecrackers, blowing trumpets and all other sorts of things that can cause loud noises. It is actually due to the superstitious belief that the noise can drive away bad luck and welcomes good luck for the New Year.
Christmas is important to all Filipino people. They try to work hard enough just for the sake of earning the money to celebrate the special holiday. For the poor people, a lot of Charity Institutions visits them to give gifts and all sorts of other things that they need. This proves that the spirit of Christmas has never been forgotten in the Philippines. In fact, Christmas is all about "giving".
In some provinces of the Philippines, did you know that everyone are invited to join them on their Noche Buena?
Strangers can actually visit any houses in the province and join them on their feasts even if they do not completely know the home-owner. This is what probably earns the Filipinos their trait of being very "hospitable" people.
There are about 171 Filipino native dialects in the Philippines but 5 of them are the major dialects that most Filipinos can understand.
Here are the following 5 major dialects on how do they say Merry Christmas:
Moreover, celebration of Christmas in the Philippines is actually inherited by the Filipino people from the western culture. They have Santa Clause, Christmas tree, they do send Christmas Cards and every other things the way how the western culture celebrates Christmas. But above all, Christmas is actually all about remembering the birth of Jesus Christ.
Going back into the history of Philippines, when the Spanish Colonization took place in the 16th to 19th century, the Filipino culture was greatly influenced with Christianity. According to the latest survey, almost 90% of the Filipinos are Christian believers where 80% of them follows the Catholic religion. To tell you, Christmas is actually celebrated by Christians throughout the world as a celebration to remember the time when Jesus Christ was born.
Celebrating Christmas in the Philippines
Filipinos celebrates Christmas in the Philippines by making early preparations. They start decorating their homes, offices, streets and other places starting from the early month of September.
Here's how Filipinos exactly celebrates Christmas:
The Month of September
September is two months away from the month of December but as I mentioned above, Filipinos tends to make early preparations for Christmas. Thus, you will start listening Christmas songs being played both on the radio and on the television on this early month of September.
Other than playing Filipino Christmas songs on various forms of medias, they are quite impressive when it comes to decorating their homes, offices and streets with Christmas lights and lanterns.
The Month of November
On the month of November, Filipinos starts on preparing for their Christmas parties. Thus, they end up spending their 13th month pay. You have to know that in the Philippines, there will be a sudden huge demand in all products in the market during the month of December. As a result, prices will rise which is the reason why some Filipinos makes early purchases in the month of November.
Overall, November is the month for planning and preparation for the upcoming month of the celebration of Christmas.
The Month of December
Finally, the whole month of December marks the celebration of Christmas.
December 1 to 25 (Caroling or "Karoling")
- Starting from the first day of the month of December, caroling already starts where a group of children or adult individuals goes around their neighbors. They then surprises them by singing Christmas songs right in front of their doors. As a reward, the owner of the house with either give them cash or snacks.
In most cases, you will get caroling visits at around 6 PM to 10 PM.
December 16 ( Church, Christmas Parties and Gift-Giving)
- At around the 16th of December, religious Filipinos attends the so called "Simbang Gabi" which is a daily Mass held for 9 days. Other than going into the Church, there are plenty of foods that are available around. Common delicious foods are "puto bumbong" (a sticky-sweet type of rice steamed inside a small bamboo tube), "bibingka" (rice cake) and "suman" (steamed rice wrapped with banana leaves).
The most interesting event on the 16th of December are the numerous Christmas parties that are being celebrated all over the country. It is also the start of exchanging or giving gifts to one another.
December 24 ( "Panunuluyan", Midnight Mass and "Noche Buena")
- The 24th of December is the grand celebration of Christmas. On this day, Filipinos tends to celebrate the so called "Panunuluyan" right on the Christmas Eve. They will have a re-enactment of the story on how Joseph and Mary journeyed into Bethlehem searching for a place for Mary to give birth to Jesus Christ.
A final Mass on Christmas Eve is also held from the Churches where it is often expected that a large number of people will attend especially on the last Mass before midnight.
Lastly, families, relatives and friends tends to gather around for the "Noche Buena". A festival meal where there's plenty of food that has been prepared for everyone to eat. Then after the Noche Buena, it's time for everyone to make exchanges of their presents.
December 25 (Visiting Family and Friends)
- The grand celebration of Christmas Holiday is actually on the 24th of December. Thus, 25th is all about visiting families, relatives and friends (who wasn't able to spend last night's celebration with you).
There are also plenty of food to eat which are left-over from the Noche Buena. And, it is still the right time to make exchanges of gifts.
December 28 ( Feast of the Innocent's Day)
- The 28th of December is like an "April Fool's Day" where you can tease your friends by playing pranks on them. Filipinos call this day as the "Ninos Inocentes".
December 31 ( Superstitious Beliefs)
- Filipinos are very superstitious people. Due to superstitions, they do believe that buying round fruits then displaying them on their tables or wearing clothes with a lot of circle designs can bring them good fortune. Round or circle actually symbolizes money.
Before the midnight of December's 31st day, Filipinos welcomes the New Year by making loud noises such as firecrackers, blowing trumpets and all other sorts of things that can cause loud noises. It is actually due to the superstitious belief that the noise can drive away bad luck and welcomes good luck for the New Year.
Importance of Christmas in the Philippines
Christmas is important to all Filipino people. They try to work hard enough just for the sake of earning the money to celebrate the special holiday. For the poor people, a lot of Charity Institutions visits them to give gifts and all sorts of other things that they need. This proves that the spirit of Christmas has never been forgotten in the Philippines. In fact, Christmas is all about "giving".
In some provinces of the Philippines, did you know that everyone are invited to join them on their Noche Buena?
Strangers can actually visit any houses in the province and join them on their feasts even if they do not completely know the home-owner. This is what probably earns the Filipinos their trait of being very "hospitable" people.
How to say Merry Christmas on 5 Major Different Filipino Dialects?
There are about 171 Filipino native dialects in the Philippines but 5 of them are the major dialects that most Filipinos can understand.
Here are the following 5 major dialects on how do they say Merry Christmas:
1. Tagalog - "Maligayang Pasko"
2. Illongo - "Malipayon nga Pascua"
3. Cebuano - "Maayong Pasko"
4. Bicolano - "Maugmang Pasko"
5. Pangalatok - "Maabig Ya Pasko" or "Magayakan Inkianac"
Moreover, celebration of Christmas in the Philippines is actually inherited by the Filipino people from the western culture. They have Santa Clause, Christmas tree, they do send Christmas Cards and every other things the way how the western culture celebrates Christmas. But above all, Christmas is actually all about remembering the birth of Jesus Christ.
Very helpful :)
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