In the centuries-old carol “The 12 Days of Christmas,” the festivities span less than two weeks.
Today Christmas is celebrated regularly throughout the month of December, and in some places, a large part of November as well.
But four months of festivities in the Philippines give new meaning to the term “festive season.”
The most famous “land”
Robert Blancaflor, president of Manila-based event design firm Robert Blancaflore, said that Christmas is celebrated during the “mainland” months, as they are called in the Philippines – namely September, October, November and December.
“Christmas is the longest season celebrated in the Philippines and … our country celebrates it the longest in the world,” he said. “Can you imagine an entire nation willingly sharing the warmth and love… so long?”
“Everywhere you look here is just pure Christmas,” said Robert Blancaflor, owner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, adding that he was “happy to live in such a delightful country.”
Courtesy of Robert Blancaflore
But the parties don’t end in December.
“Christmas fever begins on September 1 and ends in the first week of January,” said Marut Nelmida Flores, professor of Philippine studies at the Philippine University of Diliman.
She said this was a “recent phenomenon”. The reason is familiar.
holiday marketing
With the spread of malls, first in Metro Manila and later spreading far into the provinces, Christmas carols began being heard shortly after Halloween. [on] On November 1, Joven Quanang, a neurologist and art and culture enthusiast in the Philippines, said: “This was to get people to start shopping for Christmas gifts — it was motivated by trade.”
Retail stores offering Christmas-themed merchandise earlier than in the past are responsible for the so-called “Christmas crawl” in many countries. The big difference is that while others condemn the practice, Filipinos largely embrace it.
A Manila vendor sleeps among the Christmas “parol”, or paper and bamboo lanterns shaped like the Star of Bethlehem.
Noel Siles | AFP | Getty Images
“Filipinos start making modal Christmas lanterns, in September,” Nielmeda Flores said. “Now, many parts of the islands have their own brands, yards and gardens with a Christmas theme.”
Family reunion
Another factor adding to the seasonal cheer is the return of Balikbayan — who are estimated to number 2.2 million Filipinos working abroad, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Nielmeda Flores said. Overseas Filipino workers sent nearly $30 billion to the Philippines in 2020, accounting for nearly 10% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to data website Statista.
A statue in Manila pays tribute to overseas Filipino workers, many of whom are parents who spend years away from their children and loved ones to earn wages to support them financially.
Jay Directo | AFP | Getty Images
It probably won’t happen this year. Many overseas workers, who live in places such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, are not traveling this year due to the global pandemic.
Marites Rem Lopez Javier, who has been living and working in Singapore for 18 years, has not seen her family in the Philippines since 2019. She plans to celebrate Christmas with them, including her first grandson born last month, via video chat.
Javier said radio stations started playing Christmas songs in English and Tagalog in September. That’s also when the decorations go up – including the Christmas trees. She said pageants and pageants of beauty queens, a controversial but very popular activity in the Philippines, begin in October.
L: Ramiro Hinogas, better known as “The Dancing Traffic Cop,” directs traffic in Manila in a Santa Claus costume; R: Marites Rem Lopez Javier said that Santa is not as popular in the Philippines as in other countries. “They are aunts. [female relatives] who put money in children’s socks.”
Lam: ted jeep | AFP | Getty Images R: Courtesy of Maritz Javier
She said as a child that her family made a Christmas tree out of Manila paper and cardboard. Now, cheap plastic trees have become the norm in her village.
When asked if she feels there is “a lot of Christmas” in the Philippines, the 45-year-old from Luzon Island said, “No, we’re enjoying it! It’s a very happy time.”
Change the celebrations earlier
The Peninsula Manila used to light its 45-foot Christmas tree in early November, but “we just moved it to the second Friday in October,” said Mariano Garchitorina, the hotel’s director of public relations.
“There is no reason to postpone Christmas, because Christmas is always a good idea,” he said, adding that this is what “any good Filipino like me would say.”
Mariano Garraccitorina said Peninsula Manila employees start planning for Christmas in June.
Courtesy of The Peninsula Manila
Garcitorina said the hotel is including al fresco dining as part of its vacation plans to “take advantage of the nice weather”. The average temperature in Manila in December is 25°C (78°F), according to the graph.
Nina Haley, founder of the Manila-based flower and decor company The Love Garden, said she started taking Christmas orders in July.
“The Philippines is very much influenced by the West, particularly the United States,” Haley said. “So the same pines, cypresses, pines, and dried oranges are heavily used in our decor. Believe it or not, we import fir trees…from Europe.”
The nation of faith
Blancaflor said religion is the basis for the long festive period in the Philippines, adding that “the country celebrates [its] 500 years of Christianity” this year.
About 92% of people in the Philippines are Christians, according to the Stanford School of Medicine. Of the population of 110 million, more than 80% identify as Roman Catholic – a number greater than that of Italy.
About 88% of Filipinos said they are very or moderately religious, according to a survey by the Philippine Social Research Foundation, Social Weather Stations 2020.
Catholics who attended the nine days of pre-dawn “Sembang Gabe” mass in 2020, had to socially distance or nearly attend sessions in some areas, due to the global pandemic.
Ezra Acayan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Blancaflor said many religious people engage in the Simbang Gabi tradition, a nine-day pre-dawn period of congregational attendance that lasts from December 16 to 24. It is believed that Spanish missionaries introduced this practice in the 17th century.
“Every dawn for nine days, we’d gather in the cold, go to church, culminating in midnight mass on Christmas Eve,” said Kwanang, who remembered his engagement as a child.
When he grew up in Ilocos in Luzon, children went from house to house singing Christmas carols in exchange for tupig, a type of sweet rice cake, like young Filipino carols, circa 1955, shown here, said Joven Quanang.
Evans | three black | Holton Archive | Getty Images
At the time, the festivities only lasted about three weeks, he said.
“Most people of my generation find four months to be too long,” said Quanang, 81.
What does a lot of celebration say about culture
“Filipinos are a happy people,” Haley said, adding that her compatriots would find “any reason to celebrate, prepare food, gather around a table, sing, dance and have fun.”
Nina Halley and her “Pink Roses Christmas Tree” arrangement made with roses, carnations, gypsophila (baby’s breath) and eucalyptus.
Courtesy of Nina Haley and The Love Garden
Blancaflor said the Christmas season highlights the best traits of the Filipino people: hospitality, generosity, creativity and dedication to family service.
Most importantly, he said, Christmas shows the culture’s devotion to helping each other.
Poverty levels rose to nearly 24% earlier this year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This translates to more than 26 million people living below the poverty line of 12,082 Philippine pesos per month ($242) for a family of five.
Linda Abella, 63, repairs decorations on her Christmas tree outside her home in typhoon-hit Palu, Philippines on December 23, 2013.
Ezra Acayan | Norfoto | Corbis News | Getty Images
The country, which includes about 7,100 islands, is also prone to hurricanes. On average, it reaches 20 per year, five of which are devastating, according to the Asian Center for Disaster Reduction.
“Filipinos are quick to respond and urgently channel the Christmas spirit [help] “I influenced people above all,” said Blancaflore. “One of the most beautiful things about Filipinos is. [is] Being able to smile through life’s negative side and remain thankful amidst the obstacles – knowing there will be a better day. “
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