Christmas & New Year Festivities back home

Being a Filipino and had lived in the Philippines most of my life, I always love the holiday seasons. Maarten, Enna-Marie & I were one time vacationing during the month of December & we enjoyed the spirit of Christmas season. People living & working in the capital city would usually go home to their respective provinces to spend time with their families, also lots of people are shopping in the malls & supermarkets preparing for noche buena, Christmas & New Year's days. Well, here are some facts about celebrating Christmas & New Year in this country taken from one of the sites about Philippine customs during these festive seasons...

The Philippines is known for celebrating the longest Christmas season. You know the season has started when you hear the sad ballad "Pasko na Sinta Ko" playing over the airwaves in Metro Manila. As early as October, western Christmas carols are played in malls to lure early shoppers. Soon after, streets are lined with bright "parols" (lanterns). Thankfully, these momentarily provide motorist visual relief as rush hour traffic builds to a standstill, peaking a day or two before Christmas. Malls and supermarkets are mad houses. Shoppers stand in line for hours to check out and have gifts wrapped. Finding a parking slot is a no small feat; while getting a cab is next to impossible! Perhaps its the countless Kris Kringles (exchange gifts) and Christmas parties adding to the season's chaos. Or we just have to look long and hard for appropriate gifts our incredibly shrinking peso can buy. Or perhaps, many are drifting between sleep and consciousness as they attempt to get up before sunrise for nine straight days to attend dawn masses.

Simbang Gabi
These nine-day dawn masses, known as Simbang Gabi or Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) starts on December 16. Many Filipinos believe they will obtain special graces by attending all dawn masses. For those wondering, historians trace the Simbang Gabi's origin to Mexico. Spanish missionaries brought the tradition to the Philippines in the 17th century when masses were held as early as 4 o'clock in the morning to accommodate farmers who needed to tend their fields early. As they presumably were during the Spanish era, December nights are about as "chilly" as Philippine weather gets.

The aromas of native Christmas delicacies outside tempt churchgoers. Piping hot bibingka (rice cake), puto bumbong (a purple sticky rice delicacy steamed in wooden tubes), salabat (ginger tea) and thick cocoa are among the traditional breakfast treats for sleep-deprived devotees. The start of Simbang Gabi also marks the start of Christmas caroling in the Philippines. Cool nights come with bursts of firecrackers and kids' shrill interpretations of familiar western and local Christmas songs like, "Jingle Bells", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Pasko Na Naman!"

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.

The Post Christmas Calm
The streets are normally free of traffic on Christmas day and the few days after as many take extended vacations. It's the time adults rest their weary bodies and empty wallets! On the other hand, its time for kids to visit carnivals and malls. It's also time to pay their favorite ninongs and ninangs (godfathers and godmothers) fruitful visits!
Oh my, how would one describe Christmas in the Philippines? Warm, festive, crazy, impractical perhaps? One may even argue the essence of Christmas is largely lost in all the frenzy. But that's another story. Whatever it is, it seems to reflect the Filipino's spiritual yearning and fondness of family, food and all that's western! To some extent, it also reflects collective hope, resilience and ability to cope even in the most trying times.

New Year
In Philippines the families gather together at midnight on New Year and eat a midnight meal. This is believed by the people in Philippines would ensure plenty of food in the coming year. The children follow a custom of jumping up and down 10-12 times to grow tall in the coming year. This custom is believed would make the children taller for the coming year. Fireworks are an important part of the New Year celebrations. The people set off fireworks as a symbol of happiness on New Year. The fireworks are seen as a traditional way to greet the New Year with joy. The preparations begin a few days ahead of New Year.

The custom of wishing everyone luck and happiness and seeing off the old year and welcoming the New Year is still prevalent in the country. Dance music and other amusements are the other customs that the people follow on New Year. Media Noche or midnight is an important custom that is followed. On New Year's Eve families gather to have this midnight mass. This midnight mass is believed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year and to thank God for all His blessings. The custom of making noise and merrymaking is not only meant to have all the fun on New Year but also to drive away evil spirits. The people believe banging on pots and pans and blowing on car horns to be the safer methods of merrymaking on New Year.

The wide populaces in Philippines believe displaying colorful fruit and wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs would be lucky as they symbolize money. Just like the New Year custom of other countries, the people believe in following the custom of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year. This would also bring them good luck for the coming year. Opening the doors during the first day of the New Year is a custom that is followed to bring good luck as well.

Manila Regional Conference

We would like to share with you a note about the Regional Bahá’í Conference in Manila written by Chana Johnson, one of the Bahá’ís from Macau who attended the Conference...enjoy!

Also pls. visit Bahá’í World News Service for the official report and some photos.

MANILA, Philippines Conference

On the way to the conference there were about 50 Baha'is from Macau all on the same plane! Walking down the aisle say hello to about half the plane is a very interesting experience. It gives you the feeling that half the world is already Bahá’í! When we arrived we were greeted by smiling friends with signs saying: "Bahá’í Regional Conference"! Seeing that and realizing that the expression and excitement that was arising in myself was showing forth in everyone else around me!

This was the largest amount of Bahá’ís to gather under one roof in the history of the Philippines! A large amount of people were from the Philippines itself but were also joined by a few hundred more people from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Taiwan, the Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. Such an amazing and diverse group of a little over 1,000 friends! A group so diverse that many times the only thing you could say to someone was Allah'u'Abha! In this single word smiles would fill peoples face, heart, and soul. So much love between people who had never met before but that obviously shared the same Faith, the same love for Baha'u'llah resulting in the same love for each other…meeting more and more members of our beautiful human family…there's nothing like it.

Being graced with the presence of Dr. Penny Walker and Mrs. Zenaida Ramirez as representatives of the Universal House of Justice we were guided through focused talks and discussions on the 20 October 2008 letter and a letter addressed to the conference from the Universal House of Justice. We also had the opportunity to hear real stories from some participants. These stories were very different from what I have been used to at least. These stories were filled with phrases like "I did" or "I am" not with the usual "I will", "I plan to". These stories were mostly told by young Bahá’ís between the age of 18 & 22. These were young driven people who went international or home-front pioneering. Youth that went into an area that had between 5-15 Bahá’ís and were able to enlighten and assist them in launching a full Intensive Program of Growth in just a few months. These are the flames that can and will 'illumine the whole earth'.

Some friends from Taiwan shared a story that involved all elements of the Institute Process. The part that I found amazing and heartwarming was about the Children Classes and those involved. The children in this community make sure to finish their homework early so that they can go with their parents to do home visits. If you ask any of these children involved three certain questions they all answer…Who do you love? - Bahá’u’lláh...Who do you follow? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá...Who do you obey? The Universal House of Justice...and these are children!

So pretty much if you don't find some way to make it to one of the 41 Regional Conferences you're going to regret it for the rest of your life!

Arnel's visit

Arnel Lejano from the Philippines is currently visiting as a consultant, he used to serve at the World Centre & left in 2002.

a gathering with the Filipino friends held at Remegia's place. Arnel shared with us about the status of the Bahá’í activities back home, he is one of the Auxiliary Board members there.

Our dear Counsellor Mrs. Zenaida Ramirez updating us on the upcoming Regional Bahá’í Conferences that will take place around the world. We are fortunate that our National Assembly will host one of these historical Conferences to be held in Manila...yey, so exciting!

us at home with Arnel and Laroya family

Halo-halo fiesta

Remember this photo we posted two months ago?













This is halo-halo (Tagalog word "halo" means "mix") a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits. After the Holy Day programme last Tuesday, we had lunch at home (I made pork adobo) and afterwards had halo-halo for a dessert. We invited Mildred and Christine over, and Jalal also joined us. The halo-halo ingredients we used include beans (red mung, kidney and garbanzo), sugar palm fruit (kaong), coconut sport (macapuno), jackfruit (langka), nata de coco, ube (purple yam), flan (custard), and gulaman (gelatin). I made the flan myself and Mildred prepared the gelatin. I remember buying halo-halo from a sari-sari store next to our house back home during the hot months (March-May), sometimes I bring my own glass so I can bring and enjoy it at home :-).

Here are few photos of our happy, excited faces. We enjoyed it a lot, I think this is one of the best halo-halo I tried. I only gave Enna-Marie a bit of the gelatin as she was already going to nap. So do u want to be our guest next time so you can try this mouth-watering dessert??

Mildred adding some ice, we call this ice shaver "pang-kayod" in Tagalog

finished product (gelatin and flan on top)...YUMMY!
















Jalal was the first one to try

mixing some more ingredients

I later joined the girls

and Maarten of course had his share...!

Filipino food we miss...!

famous adobo dish

fresh lumpia, Maarten's favorite!!

yummy kaldereta

delicious kare-kare

palabok, Menchie's favorite

fish dish relleno

mouthwatering halo-halo...soo good especially during hot months

and last but not least, leche flan (which we actually don't have to miss, because Menchie makes a VERY good one too :-)...

Easter in the Philippines...

Last weekend was Easter in the Philippines... Easter is part of Holy Week. It is like a Christmas atmosphere. It's a time for family reunion. Some people take days off just to visit their families and relatives. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are holidays in this country where 80 percent of the population is Catholic. Easter traditions in the Philippines are focused on faith. Following the Stations of the Cross is among the rituals observed. The stations of the cross are 14 prayers said before a series of 14 images representing Jesus' path to his crucifixion and death. On Thursday people go and visit the church, they begin to meditate on this day. On Friday, the Passion play is re-enacted. In rural areas, some people use crowns of thorns and are beaten or "crucified" to show their devotion to Christ. It's crazy but it's true. This is not common though in the cities.

In my family, we are all Baha'is, and as such we don't participate in the Holy Week observance. But some non-Baha'i relatives do and also my friends and their families. One custom Filipinos do is the Easter egg hunt, the Americans influenced us with this. Some stores offer or sell sweets and goodies that come with an Easter Egg Hunt and Easter baskets. And the kids love these...See photos below of the Easter goodies.