MONCADA, Tarlac—The icy winds from the Mongolian steppes have started blowing southward, with winter sweeping the temperate zone, and bringing to the Philippines the traditional cold weather—an apt reminder that Christmas is around the corner.
Somewhere at the lagoon in this rice-producing first class town 154 kms north of Manila, Christmas songs take the night air— like the song “Joy to the World,” whose lyrics were written in 1719 by English hymn writer and theologian Isaac Watts (1674-1748).
“Joy to the World, the Lord is come!/ Let earth receive her King;/ Let every heart prepare Him room,/ And Heaven and nature sing,/ And Heaven and nature sing,/ And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.”//
In Barangay Atencio, on the west side of the main national MacArthur Highway, the Tagalog Christmas song “Pasko Na Naman” is being sung by young boys and girls in front of lantern-decorated houses.
“Pasko na naman, o kay tulin ng araw./ Paskong nagdaan, tila ba kung kailan lang./ Ngayon ay Pasko, dapat pasalamatan./ Ngayon ay Pasko, tayo ay mag-awitan.”//(It’s Christmas once again, the days roll by fast./ The past Christmas, ‘twas like it had just passed by./ Now that it’s Christmas, only proper we give thanks./ Now that it’s Christmas, let’s sing carols.//)
At the town proper, where Christmas lights are aplenty, the night breeze wafts the familiar Ilocano song, among others sung by primary graders and the elderly: “Ala kadin, inkay’ yawat/ ‘Tay aginaldomi a pirak/ Ta uray sisiam a sikapat/ No isut’ itedyo kadakam a pagayat.”//(Please give it now to us/ The money as our Christmas gift/ Although they form part of some loose change/ Provided that’s the symbol of your love.//)
As in many other Christian towns of this Southeast Asian republic, discovered for Europe by Ferdinand Magellan on March 16, 1521, this town has its share of lanterns and carols in the run up to the beginning of Christmas celebration on Dec. 16 and exotic foods at home after the Midnight Mass or the Misa de Gallo, the mass of the Rooster—following nine successive night Masses in Church.
On the front yards of Catholic and Aglipayan churches in the towns, rice cakes—the indigenous bibingka, sumallatik, bitsobitso, linapet, sinuman, puto bumbong, dudol and kalasukos—and steaming cups of chocolate and coffee are sold to those attending the Masses.
Many say Yuletide in this country—one of only two predominantly Christian countries in Asia, the other being East Timor, is a mixture of Western and native Filipino traditions.
Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, sending Christmas cards, and singing carols have all been inherited from the cultures of the West although these have been adapted to fit the nature and character of the Christian Filipino.
Perhaps not as many attend the first to the eighth night –- or dawn — masses, but the ninth which falls on Christmas Eve, one of the traditions most Filipino families celebrate, is on the main a night without sleep and a continuing celebration sliding right into Christmas Day, when, ironically, dishing out of Christmas carols become already anti-climactic.
Some say as Dec. 24 dawns, the last Mass of Simbang Gabi — called Miatinis in many Ilocano towns and Misa de Gallo among Cebuanos in Central Philippines and in Mindanao — is attended by the elderly, those in mid-life and even the young ones.
In many towns, preparation begins for Noche Buena, which is a family feast that takes place after midnight, where near relatives and close friends are welcome.
Plates of rich foods -– served often in buffet style — are aplenty on the covered dining table, including, but not limited to, lechon (pan-fried roast pork); kare-kare (oxtail stew in peanut butter sauce); gupi or igado; mechado; rellenong manok (baked stuffed chicken); pinakbet; crispy pata; pata tim; fried prawns and other sea foods which make a fisherman’s platter; pancit; barbecue; rice; adobo; cakes (Western and native rice cakes), lumpia (spring rolls) and fruits in season.
There are also bottles of basi, the fermented sugar cane juice, among the Ilocanos, or tapuy, tuba and lambanog in other regions and even bottles of imported hard drinks.
Not far from the Noche Buena table, the lyrics of the song O Holy Night are being wafted: “O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,/ It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth./ Long lay the world in sin and error pining./ Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth…//
Its words and lyrics were written by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure in 1847. Cappeau, a French wine seller by trade but was a poet and author of the well-known poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (O Holy Night) but was asked by the parish priest to write a poem for Christmas, obliged and wrote the words of the hymn.
He eventually realized it should have music to accompany the words and he approached his friend Adolphe Charles Adams (1803-1856).
Given the Christian orientation of nearly 88 percent of the 98 million people, Christmas — from up north in Batanes to down south in the Christian towns in Mindanao — the celebration of Christmas is understandably important and revered holiday for most Filipinos.
Some say whether you are in a small town or in the urban areas, Christmas is a time for family, for sharing, for giving, and a time for food, fun, and friendship.
The fiesta mood is underscored by scores of lanterns in different sizes and with different bulbs, and –- a new innovation -– a lantern parade in some night during December.
Star lanterns, with all dazzling colors available, and other Christmas decors, are an essential element of the Filipino celebration, a lengthy one by standards of other countries, the celebration ending on Epiphany.
Ironic that while there is no winter nor snow in the Philippines at Christmas — and perhaps only Benguet province and surrounding areas have pine trees — some Christmas cards received by relatives have pictures of snow and pine crowns.
Santa Claus, though visible in displays and believed by most Filipino children to exist, does not pass by houses to give gifts to those waiting for him. But his image in doors of department stores in urban centers continues to welcome shoppers.
As the family –- with extended members, including grandparents and cousins –- walk home for the Noche Buena, the Watts-written song echoes on the road: “Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!/ Let men their songs employ;/ While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains/ Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,/ Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.//
It’s Christmas yet again in the Philippines, where the longest Christian festival touches every mind and heart.