Just Around the Corner

You can smell it, feel it, see it and taste it. People around the world celebrate Christmas. However, there is this distinctive style and distinctive flavour whenever Pinoys celebrate this season. Even if they want to commercialize and Americanize everything, we have our own Christmas traditions eventhough if you sprinkle it with snow will still remain distinctively Pinoy. And that makes the Filipino Christmas unique.

You can sense that the season is near when “ber” months came. As early as September you can hear the radio stations began the countdown till Christmas and include Christmas carols on their playlists. But if we say “officially” Christmas here in the Philippines starts on December 16 that would last until on the Feast of the Three Kings. But that can be always extended, as long as people are too lazy set down Christmas decorations, you can say its still Christmas (until March maybe).

December 16^th marks the start of “Simbang Gabi” or “Misa de Gallo”. In English it is called “Rooster’s Mass”, nine days of waking up early in the morning. This tradition started when the farmers who wanted to attend the Novena in the Spanish era went to mass early in the morning so that they won't be bothered in the fields. They spend the whole day in the fields and there is no mass on evenings, so it was done early in the morning. But when Pinoys say “simbang gabi” it is always preceded by Bibingka and Puto-Bumbong. Sometimes I think, if these two elements are gone, there would be less attendance in the mass and only few would complete the novena. After the Simbang Gabi mass you can observe Pinoys ganging up the nearby stall and do a “simbang-kain”. But in our place we have a new term, we call it “simbang-tabi”, it is for those people who wanted to park their boyfriends or girlfriends at their side, showing it to the world as they say “haha! Hindi malamig ang Pasko ko!” (haha! My Christmas is not cold!”) And if you completed the nine days, you can make a wish and it will come true (they say). It is like a bonus in the playstation. Aside from that you can boast to anyone and say “alam mo bang nakumpleto ko ang simbang gabi?!” (did you know that I completed the Simbang gabi?!)

Also in December 16^th you can see the Filipino ingenuity of making money, the carolling. You can see children making improvised tambourine out of bottle caps of softdrinks and beer, pound them with the use of hammer and tie them together with a steel wire. Also the magical drum made of empty milk cans (Nido, Anchor, Bonna etc.) both sides are open and they cover it with plastic plus the rubber bands that makes it more sound like a real drum. But prepare your ear to hear the “classics” such as “pasensya na kayo, kami’y namamasko!” and “we wish you a merry Christmas (3x) and a Happy New Year”. The two are always together, you can bet all you worldly possessions that when you hear “pasensya na kayo” it is always followed by “we wish you…”. One more thing, if you gave those children carollers 1 peso, look out for the next song and you will hear “thank you (3x) ambabarat ninyo, thank you!”. But if you give them a large amount you will hear heavenly voices of “thank you (3x) ambabait ninyo, thank you!”. However because you are too generous, expect them to return everyday that is why you should learn a style to shoo them away.

“Sa may bahay…”

“PATAWAAAAAD!”

But those things are only effective with children, when the old ones comes to carol, be ready because they usually come with an envelop. You are forced to give large amount of paper bills and coins are not allowed. But sometimes your money are worth it because they use to bring karaoke and sing with additional dance number. Add Tito, Vic and Joey and it would look like an “Eat Bulaga” variety show.

Moreover, have you seen our own Christmas trees? I call it “only in the Philippines”. If you go to Divisioria, scientist will be surprised to see almost a thousand of species of Christmas tree. We have trees made of plastic, made of steel wires, white Christmas tree (white Christmas?), made of dried branches and leaves, 1 foot Christmas tree (bonsai) and everything that you can imagine. The same with the Parol, it come in different shapes, sizes, colours and soon in handy pack.

And you can you see Christmas lights everywhere including those in squatters area even if there is no electricity line or fuse… just straight from the post. Filipinos would always put Christmas lights even if its brown out every night. They would decorate and shape it as a star, an angel, a Christmas Tree or any thing that would make their windows beautiful so that they can beat the display in COD at Cubao or in Policarpio St. in Madaluyong.

Filipinos can be tricky also when it come with Ninong and Ninang. In the process of selecting, they will always anticipate Christmas. And when Christmas day comes, the funny thing is that the parents can locate the Ninongs and Ninangs of their children wherever they are. As if they have a global positioning system that would point you thier whereabouts. And not only that, if you could easily hide during Christmas, expect that the parents would remind of you of the aguinaldos of their son/daughter, even if they saw you in June.

Different practices, different traditions and different style. But what really amaze me is how we Filipinos manage to celebrate Christmas even if there are financial crises, typhoons, earthquake and wars. Whenever this season comes, smile aglow in every face of a Filipino, a hope in future that next year even without money Christmas will continue, because we Filipinos know why we are celebrating this season, it is because of a baby was born for us, and be with us amidst all of our worries and problems. That is why we say “tuloy na tuloy pa rin ang Pasko!”