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| Hospitality of the Filipinos
People who have experienced being with Filipinos find them very hospitable. A common trait Filipinos are known to most foreigners who have traveled around the country. Although they are not the only people in the world who can be friendly and welcoming, their attitude towards other people is said to be exceptional. Even the humblest home along the road can serve as a shelter for a stranger who has lost his way. For Filipinos, serving other people the best of what they have leave them an honor and a promise of true friendship. A typical Filipino house is not completely called a home without any facility ready for unexpected visitors. It is filled with new and lovely items reserved only for them while ordinary ones are for everyday use. They welcome guests with the phrase “feel at home” to make them comfortably at ease. Arriving at your host’ house during mealtime may be awkward but if its in a Filipino house, you will be asked to sit down and share with what they have on the table. Because eating alone without asking others according to Filipino customs is considered rude. These manners picture how Filipinos accept and properly respect the presence of their visitors. A form of hospitality that comes truly from the heart like how the country made its image as the land of true smiling people. considering the struggling economy, political confusions and the rising poverty in the country, anyone will be surprised seeing how Filipinos handle such situations. It is like taking everything from them but not their love of joking. Joking and laughing at everything perhaps gives them relief and makes them see things more positively. Traveling in this country means more of building rapport with its people and understanding their customs. Filipinos love entertaining foreign visitors; as to help, or for whatever reasons, interacting with them is unavoidable. Hence, aside from the country’s stunning natural assets, meeting the Filipinos gives a promise of a true friendship and memories to keep. So thats why alots of foreigner loves to visit and eplores the beautiful places her ein philippines......
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| Christmas in Philippines
Christmas: A National Fiesta The Philippines is known as the "Land of Fiestas," and at Christmas time, this is especially true. Filipinos are proud to proclaim their Christmas celebration to be the longest and merriest in the world. It begins formally on December 16 with attendance at the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses and continues on nonstop until the first Sunday of January, Feast of the Three Kings, the official end of the season. The Philippines is the only Asian country where Christians predominate. Majority of its people are Roman Catholic. Christmas, therefore, is an extremely important and revered holiday for most Filipinos. It is a time for family, for sharing, for giving, and a time for food, fun, and friendship. To most Filipinos, Christmas is the most anticipated fiesta of the year and is celebrated accordingly. The splendid climate of this tropical island nation, the abundance and beauty of its flowers, and lovely landscape, its multitude of culinary delights, and above all its warm-hearted people with their true devotion to family and faith all contribute to a holiday celebrated in the true Philippines fiesta tradition.
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| Christmas in Philippines part 2
Filipino Christmas Decors There is no winter or snow in the Philippines at Christmas time. There are very few pine trees. There is no traditional Yule log or fetching of the pine sprigs from the woods. And Santa Claus, though visible in displays and believed by most Filipino children to exist, seldom comes bearing gifts. Even without snow or pine trees, there's no doubt it's Christmasin the Philippines. Filipino Christmas decorations are abundant and beautiful. The bamboo parol (pah-role), or star lantern, is the symbol of Christmas in the Philippines, representing the guiding light, the star of Bethlehem. It emits a warmth unparalleled among holiday adornments and is unique to the Philippines. Filipinos enjoy decorating their homes not only with star lanterns but also with all sorts of Christmas decors. Brightly colored buntings or streamers are hung inside and out. Often, Christmas cards that illustrate scenes in the Philippines are pinned on red and green ribbons. The cards are then hung in the sala, or living room, for all to enjoy. Candles and wreaths are also common adornments. Recently, Filipinos have begun choosing wreaths and other decorations made with local native materials rather than those patterned after western designs. And many houses, particularly those in the urban areas are strung with tiny multi-colored lights both inside and out. Most Filipinos think that decorating their homes for the Christmas holidays is a must.
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| Christmas in Philippines part 3
Filipino Christmas Traditions It is a Filipino tradition for children to visit their godparents and elderly relatives on Christmas day. This child is showing respect for his godmother by taking her hand to his forehead. In return, he receives a blessing or a gift. Christmas in the Philippines 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. However, these have all been adapted to fit the nature and personality of the Filipino people. Christmas Eve in the Philippines is one of the traditions most families celebrate. It is a night without sleep and a continuous celebration moving right into Christmas Day. As December 24th dawns, the last Mass of Simbang Gabi is attended; then preparation begins for Noche Buena, which is a family feast that takes place after midnight. The Noche Buena is very much like an open house celebration. Family, friends, relatives, and neighbors drop by to wish every family member "Maligayang Pasko" (Merry Christmas). Food is in abundance, often served in buffet style. Guests or visitors partake of the food prepared by the host family (even though they are already full or bloated!). Among the typical foods prepared in the Philippines during Christmas are: lechon (roasted pig), pancit, barbecue, rice, adobo, cakes (Western and native rice cakes), lumpia, etc. There is also an abundance of San Miguel beer, wine, and liquor, which makes the celebration of Christmas indeed intoxicating! The streets are well lit and are full of activities. The children run in and out of the house to play, to eat, and to play again. The Christmas Eve gathering provides an opportunity for a reunion of immediate and distant family members. Some families may choose to exchange gifts at this time; others wait until Christmas day. In general, the center of a family's Christmas gathering is always the lola, the endearing term used for a family matriarch or grandmother, who is deeply respected, highly revered, and always present. Filipinos remember how their lola had their children form a line and step up to receive a small gift of some coins. The older the child, the more coins he or she receives. Some families have a talent show during Christmas Eve celebration. Children are asked to perform. One might sing a Christmas song, others might play a musical instrument, or others may recite a poem or do a dance. The celebration continues until about 6 o'clock in the morning. Those who cannot attend Mass the night before will go to the morning Mass on Christmas day. Christmas day is a popular day for children to visit their uncles, aunts, godmothers, and godfathers. At each home they are presented with a gift, usually candy, money, or a small toy. Food and drinks are also offered at each stop. It is a day of family closeness, and everyone wishes good cheer and glad tidings.
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| Christmas in Philippines part 4
Simbang Gabi STARTING after midnight tonight (15 December), church bells will be ringing very early in the morning until Christmas Day. Today marks the beginning of the Christmas novena, or Simbang Gabi, in Tagalog. For Filipino Catholics the nine-day celebration before Christmas is a tradition with deep roots in the country's religious culture. Literally, simbang gabi means ``night worship.'' The name comes from the Catholic custom of gathering for the celebration of the Eucharist in the pre-dawn hours on each of the nine days before Christmas. Hence, this celebration is also known by its popular Spanish name as the misa de gallo, or ``mass of the rooster.'' Catholic churches throughout the country will be ringing their bells around 3:00 or 3:30 in the morning long before the roosters crow. The origins of this Filipino custom are obscure. Perhaps the tradition came from Mexico, like many Catholic practices and devotions found in the Philippines. One old Spanish name for this pre-Christmas series of daily masses is Misa de Aguinaldo. The phrase offers some insight into the meaning of simbang gabi. In Spanish aguinaldo means a gift. So Misa de Aguinaldo suggests a gift for the Child Jesus. Whatever its title, this pre-Christmas observance is surely a sacrifice of love for it requires dedication and discipline to get out of bed so early while yet fulfilling all one's daily duties. Over the generations, local Filipino faith communities have creatively adapted simbang gabi. While only candles and lanterns are used in rural areas, as in centuries past, most churches today have electric lights, lanterns, and sound systems in keeping with the economic means of the congregation. So amplifiers now blare the Christmas music and the readings from the World of God and the Eucharistic prayers. Over adaptations are deeper. For example, many urban parishes now celebrate simbang gabi around 8 or 9 in the evening, not just in the morning, in order to accommodate the needs of people on a great variety of work schedules. The custom is also kept among Filipinos living elsewhere in the world. No matter how or when this celebration takes place, the annual simbang gabi provides a strong indication of the depth of Catholicism in the hearts of Filipinos. For those not taking in this celebration, simbang gabi may appear to be too much noise too early in the morning. But a modicum of reflection easily allows everyone to gain insight into the deeper meaning of this celebration. Simbang gabi expresses the faith of Filipinos who hold the same core belief as all Christians, namely, that God is present in human history, even in the simple joys and anxieties of life's humblest activities. Filipino Catholics who sincerely live their belief in the incarnation merit the respect and admiration of the whole nation. So, let the bells of the Misa de Gallo break the pre-dawn silence of the whole land. The bells offer a message of hope in God and of hope for peace on earth.
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| Simbang Gabi 2008
SIMBANG GABI is one of the longest and most popular among the Filipino traditions in the country. It is when Catholic churches across the nation start to open their doors shortly before the break of dawn to welcome the faithful to the Simbang Gabi mass. Simbang Gabi or Mass at Dawn is a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother. The novena begins December 16 as early as 4 in the morning and culminates with the “Misa de Gallo” on Christmas Eve to welcome the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. In some churches, the panuluyan is reenacted showing the effort of Joseph and Mary to find a suitable birthplace. Today, the tradition of Simbang Gabi continues whether you live in the city or in the province, although it is celebrated in new ways. Most churches are decorated with colourful lights and beautiful parol lanterns to welcome the church goers. The Nativity Scene or "Belen" is displayed in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It shows Baby Jesus in a manger with Mother Mary and St. Joseph. There are shepherds and farm animals. A complete scenario of the Belen includes the three wise men carrying their gifts to Infant Jesus and the star of Bethlehem that guided them in their journey. Over the years, Filipinos communities have made some changes in the celebration of Simbang Gabi, some urban parishes now celebrates Misa de Gallo around 8- 9 in the evening in order to accommodate the needs of the members of the community who have different work schedules. Shortly after the mass, traditional delicacies awaits the church goers and are sold in stalls right outside the church, Favourites like bibingka, puto (rice cakes), puto bungbong, suman sa pasko, suman sa ibos and usually served with tea or coffee. Hot pandesal (breakfast roll ) are also very popular.
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| Noche Buena
After the nine-day dawn masses, the Misa de Gallo is celebrated before midnight of December 24. Then its off to the Noche Buena (traditional Christmas Feast after the midnight mass) to celebrate with the rest of the family. This much-awaited family reunion typically finds excited kids playing and opening gifts. Traditional Noche Buena fare is Queso de Bola (ball of cheese) and Hamon (Christmas Ham), usually served with hot chocolate.
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