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Posts Tagged ‘Christmas shopping’

Wow, the countdown is through and the day everyone is waiting for are mere hours left. You’ll definitely see smiles in everyone’s faces. Everybody is jolly. Being grumpy is not welcome at this day of the year. Everybody should welcome the day of nativity of Jesus Christ above anything else.

I’m too busy this week and I haven’t got the chance to attend midnight mass or “Simbang Gabi” in our parish but I do hope that I’ll be able to celebrate the last mass before Christmas later this evening with my significant other and finish off the night with a sumptuous Noche Buena.

So, are you done with your Christmas shopping? Me, I actually haven’t finished yet. Just bought some gifts for my “inaanak” or godchildren and some for my family and loved ones. It’s been a hell of a month for me, been too busy, got no time for shopping really.

Well, time to hit the sack to prepare the long night later…Merry Christmas to everyone!

You can really feel Christmas in the air now. The temperature is quite cold even in noontime. Many packed the malls these days to go about their annual Christmas shopping. You will also see different kinds of things being sold in the streets. Just try to check and you might find a really good deal with your money with a little haggling.

Just barely 9 days to go before the celebrated birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God in the Christian world. But of course, there is too much to be said for Christmas and I can fill my whole site on articles for Christmas but for now, I will only tackle famous Filipino traditions, and one of the famous is the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo or midnight mass.

This tradition started in the Spanish colonization era in the Philippines. In Spanish speaking countries, Misa de Gallo is only celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve, but in the Philippines, this custom starts at dawn on December 16 until December 24 at around 4 to 5 in the morning.

We can also never leave the fact that Simbang Gabi means treating yourself in traditional Filipino delicacies like puto bumbong (a purple colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated coconut and brown sugar) with salabat or ginger tea, bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under) and hot cocoa drink being sold by vendors outside the church.

Together with this custom is the traditional “Parol” or Christmas lantern. According to Philippines history, the early farmers took lanterns on their way to the church to celebrate the midnight mass.

The usual shape of these lanterns is star and was inspired by the star on the Nativity of Jesus that guided the three kings or magi to the birthplace.

The usual parols are made of bamboo strips pasted with papel de japon or Japanese paper and illuminated by candle, but now, there are different variations and sometimes the shapes is not anymore like a star and electric Christmas lights illuminates it instead of the usual candle.

Christmas will never be Christmas in the Philippines without these traditions.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, November 27, 2008. Thanksgiving is celebrated every fourth Thursday of November to commemorate the end of the harvest season, and is considered as an annual American holiday.

I will not talk about the origins of this holiday because you can simply research this on Wikipedia or in any credible site that provides information. I will talk about how American celebrated this holiday.

Thanksgiving are sometimes referred as “Turkey Day” because thanksgiving will not be complete without the roasted turkey on the feast table for Americans together with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and sweet corn.

Usually, family and friends take days off to celebrate with their loved ones, and this is one of the busiest season because it’s a four-day or five-days weekend vacation spree for everyone.

Parades are usually held on some parts of the country, particularly in New York City where it starts at Macy’s flagship store and parade floats abound the street.

Also, Football takes a good part of the festival because it is usually played in this day and families and friends crammed up in front of the television to watch their favourite team host the game.

And of course, Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas season shopping. The day after Thanksgiving, which no doubt is Friday is called “Black Friday”, where almost all stores packed their inventory for items for Christmas shopping. Also, this day is still considered a part of the holiday so that people will be given a long holiday off from their everyday work.

I envy Americans for this kind of holiday, which promoted piety and strong family connection. And of course, I will be a hypocrite if I didn’t mention the joy it would bring to me for the long day off this entails. But all in all, everyone benefits in this tradition, common person and businessmen alike.