Celebrations that occur include:
Christmas parties, often held in the weeks that lead up to Christmas Day amongst families and businesses. Some common activities that occur in these parties may include Monito/Monita (also known as Secret Santa or Kris Kringle), lots of eating, and sometimes even fireworks!
Simbang Gabi is a set of Masses that occur daily from roughly the 16th of December to Christmas Eve, in which families attend masses to show devotion to God, which are sometimes accompanied by food (at church or at home). It is believed that God grants special wishes of those who attend all 9 Masses.
Christmas Eve Mass, where families visit their Church at a time around or on Midnight, which is followed by Noche Buena, a feast often with close family that again involves lots of food (including Ham, varius pastas/fruit and Queso de bola (Spanish for “ball of cheese”)).
Christmas Day involves getting close with family, spending up to the whole day celebrating together, eating food, and playing various games/singing songs. A popular tradition is “Pagmamano”, where younger children respect their elders by bringing their elder’s hand to their hand, receiving their blessing, often followed by the giving of a crisp bill of money to the younger person.
In the end, Christmas for Filipinos are all about food (as you can probably tell), family, friends and God. The Christmas spirit overflows the country, and is a truly beautiful celebration.
-Patrick
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