Once the ‘Ber months roll around I can’t help but feel a little nostalgia with a hint of wishful thinking. “Oh, how I wish I could go to the Philippines for Christmas this year.”
I can just remember the honking sounds of jeepneys and pedicabs with people crossing through the streets carrying heavy bags of toys and gifts filled with much cheer. My childhood days back home was filled with excitement and anticipation especially when my siblings especially my brother and I knew it was that time that Santa was filling up our socks with our dreams and wishes for the year. We would gather boxes upon boxes of organized trim and decorations and help set up our tree filled with lights while playing background music from the famous Jose Mari Chan with his song” A Perfect Christmas” or Amy Grant’s version of “A Grown-up Christmas List”.
The rise of early dawn comes with the start of Simbang Gabi or what we call Misa de Gallo which means the nine-day dawn masses in preparation for Jesus’ birth or Christmas. I did not fully understand the meaning of waking up so early in the morning and barely having my eyes open and attending mass with hordes of people. I do remember after mass there would be street vendors selling traditional Filipino rice cakes like “bibingka (baked rice cake), “puto bumbong” (steamed purple rice), “kutsinta” or “suman” (another type of rice cake wrapped in banana leaves), “latik” (sweet coconut dessert) or “yema” (custard candies) with all of these often served with hot chocolate, “salabat” (ginger tea) or taho (silken tofu drink with pearls). Amidst all the smells and sounds as well as the chatter among neighbors and the community, you know that warm and fuzzy feeling inside that’s comforting. It just feels like home. Those were the Christmas traditions growing up and the wonderful memories etched in my mind and not to mention we were also caroling in the neighborhood which was a a lot of fun trudging along from one house to another singing Filipino and English Christmas songs. Pure joy indeed.
As an adult looking back, I have three takeaways from it all. The first one being I never knew the importance of tradition until I moved to the United States. Traditions embody you as a person which herein lies cultures and beliefs that make up your intrinsic values. The second is, no matter where you are in the world, the joy of Christmas will always take you home where the memories where embedded back in time. Lastly, we should remain in reverence with Jesus’ birth because that is where eternal salvation lies and we are saved.
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