IN THE Philippines, where almost 92 percent of the 117 million population are Christians, Christmas signifies deep faith, family unity, and vibrant community, marked by the world’s longest festive season.
This starts in September, and the season has unique traditions like dawn Masses, colorful star lanterns, and Noche Buena feasts, all centered on celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth with immense joy, generosity, and cultural blending of native, Hispanic, and Western customs.
At its core, Christmas is a profound religious observance honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, central to the faith of Christian Filipinos from up north in Batanes to down south in Mindanao.
A major tradition is the Simbang Gabi, a novena of pre-dawn masses from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24. culminating in Misa de Gallo or the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, a significant act of devotion.
There is also the reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging, known as Panunulúyan, which emphasizes the humble origins of Christ’s birth.
We see in this season some cultural and familial significance, which provides – not that it happens only during the season – a prime time for family reunions, fostering strong kinship and communal bonding.
There is also the gift-giving with the exchange of gifts which reinforces love and sharing, though sometimes overshadowed by consumerism.
Verily, Filipino Christmas blends Western elements – Santa, trees, carols – with unique Hispanic influences and indigenous traditions, creating a distinct cultural celebration rooted in faith, joy, and community spirit, notes this Facebook post.
There is, alongside the Christmas carols, the deeper symbolism of Christmas in the Philippines, linked to the 1521 arrival of the Cross, the birth of Filipino Catholicism, blending faith with indigenous culture, symbolized by Christ Child and the lantern which signifies hope, cultural adaptation like the Belenismo, now popular in the Central Plains north of the national capital, and enduring faith despite colonial history, transforming Spanish arrival into a uniquely Filipino celebration of Christ’s birth and a national identity deeply rooted in love for the Holy Child.
To all our fellow followers in the faith, a blessed Christmas.
