6 Filipino CHRISTMAS TRENDS YOU SHOULD START ON THIS MONTH

Would you think I was joking if I said, "Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines 4 months out of the year? And if the month ends in -ber, then it’s Christmas already!”.. Hilarious right? But we Filipinos aren’t kidding! We take Christmas seriously and blast Christmas music all around the country on September 1st, 12:00am. So I’d like to believe that over the years we have found ways to make Christmas more Filipino and I’m proud to say that is also true! We have created a rich culture of our own version of Christmas lights, decorations using tropical foliage, and we even have our own special Christmas desserts to match. And truthfully, I think it’s time we started bringing more of those traditions around the world! If any of these traditions have piqued your interest, let’s unwrap this gift of Filipino Christmas with the 6 Biggest Christmas Filipino trends that you needed to do yesterday! 

1. Decorating your home with Parols

A parol is one of the most iconic ways to display your love for Christmas and your Filipino roots! A Parol is the Filipino version of Christmas lights and ornaments all in one, resembling a colorful lantern with a star-shape at the center, representing the star in the sky the night baby Jesus was born. The parol is made up of different colored plastics that give off the bright colors, shaped with wire, bamboo, or other recyclable materials. Originally, parol’s were used to hang on lamp posts to guide church-goers to Simbang Gabi “night mass” but today this colorful pastime has been adapted as a colorful Filipino decoration that can be smaller and hung up on Christmas trees or bigger to decorate awnings and doorways, it has even evolved in shape to be made in different designs like a star or a flower. 

2. Capiz Shell Lanterns

Yes this is another lantern but it is different from a parol. For one thing, the Capiz Shell Lantern takes on a more circular / ball shape which can also vary in color and size. But more importantly, the 2nd thing that differentiates the significance of the Parol is the fact that the Capiz Shell Lantern is made up of Windowpane Oyster Shells (Placuna Placenta Mollusk) which is native to the seas of the Philippines and abundant in the Capiz province. The Parol has its roots in religion while the Capiz Lanterns bring light to what makes up the Philippines and we use that to shine bright and decorate the night. 

3. Driftwood Christmas Trees / Abaca Wreaths

Wow what a hip way to decorate your Christmas AND it’s a Filipino tradition. I love this tradition because it looks so unique and can be very tasteful when blending neutral tones against the bright reds, greens, and golds that we typically see for Christmas. This tradition of finding items from the forest to put our spin on Christmas decorating is so innovative because we love Christmas but it’s not as if the islands have a plethora of noble fir pine trees that we can chop down. This can also be applied to our version of wreaths, the Abaca Wreath is still in a circular arrangement and made of abaca which is a natural leaf fiber relative to the banana tree family native to the Philippines.

4. Bibingka and Puto Bumbong 

A traditional Christmas treat to look forward to due to the difficulty to make, Bibinka is traditionally baked in clay pot and leaves while puto bumbong is steamed in bamboo tubes. This tasty dessert was a reward to families for staying up for Simbang Gabi. Fortunately for us, most bakeries can create this any time of the year but we should still take a moment to eat this dish as it was originally intended, to celebrate Christmas mass.  We suggest adding these into your weekly diet so you can really take advantage of the season.

5. Noche Buena

Food is always the focal point to any Filipino party and Noche Buena might be the new Thanksgiving of the Philippines. Noche Buena is a feast celebrated at midnight on Christmas Day with a lot of Filipino traditional dishes like lechon, queso de bola, hamon, and fruit salad. More than that, the event takes time and manpower which also doubles as quality time for families who might not get to see each other as often due to work or living overseas. 

6. Aguinaldo

Elders would give money as gifts to children after children would typically “pagmano” (bow to elder and simultaneously press the elders hand to their forehead) as a sign of respect. I know I said that food is a focal point to any filipino party which is true but second to food is singing. And when I was growing up, my family and my friends' family would usually put on a small talent show to receive their Aguinaldo in addition to pagmano. Not sure if that was just my family but it might be fun to change up your Aguinaldo this year with a little singing and dancing. 

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Written By Niko Del Rey

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