Days Before Christmas Looking Forward to the Yuletide Holidays

It’s November! What comes next after November is December! Yey! Christmas na!

Pasko! Pasko! Pasko na naman muli! Whenever I see boys and girls singing carols… just some Christmas tunes playing on my head as I am writing this post hehehe.

Yesterday I was doing my draft of Christmas list; I hope my name ends up on many list hehe. I always look forward to Christmas. The first Christmas song I’ve listened to for this year’s Christmas season was Feliz Navidad while we were on Toy Kingdom hunting for Treasure Hunts Hot Wheels collectible, that was last September. I love visiting Toy Kingdom and malls when these places start playing Christmas medleys.

As a kid I love visiting Gaisano Metro =), they will have these grandiose and festive Christmas display on their store. All those glittering shiny things and colorful decors accompanied by soulful or jolly Christmas songs playing never fails to light up my spirit and mood.

 Some of these I’ve shared below are the typical traditions followed by Pinoys all over the world para sa Pasko …

Pagkaing Sikat sa Pasko!  Puto Bumbong!

 Monito and Monita Kris Kringle

Have you started planning your Monita Monito themes? Get ready with your ideas and “something” for Kris Kringle. I bet lots of something sweet, something hard, something wet, something red, something long, something anything is rounding it up in your plans. Right?  What will be your Manito and Manita wishlist? Lest I forgot, themes for your Christmas parties too!!!  What are the “in” and popular Christmas party themes for this year, I wonder?

p.s. what really is it? Manito Manita or Monito Monito?  ah basta gift  giving and kris kringle heheheh 

On a side note…

I’m also wondering now if my sister will aim to complete Starbucks annual planner for next year? Hope she does, and hopes it ends up with me like last year. Hmm that was only because she said the 2012 Starbucks planner’s design was not to her liking. Crossing fingers she won’t like again the 2013 Starbucks planner hehehe.

It was sooo easy to get one of these planners from this café when I was working corporate. Treating clients with frapps and Christmas special beverages also means me ending up with lots of Starbucks stickers. But after quitting corporate work, I find that spending that much money to get a specific planner is not wise. So now I wait the action of my sister. Lol.

But I’ll be visiting this café for their signature Christmas blend at least once. Once is all I can afford. Lol. I’ll probably get my favorite Peppermint Mocha. Hot, not frapp. 🙂

Get Together With Barkada and Friends

For many years now, as our Christmas tradition, me and friends from way back highschool take time to gather despite our busy Christmas schedules and the list of parties and activities lined-up for each of us. Well, actually I am not busy but they are heheh.  It’s something I look forward to. We probably need to reserve ahead of time the restaurant that we will dine at. Last year we had to wait for couple of hours to be seated in Casa Verde in Ayala. I wonder what resto will be gathering in this December. Any suggestions?

Family and Clan Christmas Reunion

Every year, a few days before or on Christmas Eve itself December 24, our whole clan from my mom’s side will gather for our Christmas Reunion and Party. Each family will bring forth their food specialty and share this with the rest for a major feast. Gift giving, lots of laughter, games and foods will overflow.  Hopefully the food will overflow and not mabitin hehehe. Family gathering is one awesome Filipino Christmas tradition that I hope will not ever disappear.

My mom is the eldest anak, I am the eldest apo and the youngest family member of our clan is a 6 months old baby, apo sa tuhod ng grandparents ko. Apo sa tuhod = grandchild in the knees. Hehehhe does that confuse you?

Here’s a quick lesson for a Filipino Family set up:

Lolo / Lola = Grandmom / Grandad

Anak = Child of Grandparents

Child of Anak =  “Apo” of Grandparents

Child of Apo = “Apo sa Tuhod” of Grandparents

 We are a big family coming from an 8 kids household of our Lolo and Lola. =) Now if you factor in our family on my father’s side, that just becomes an Army Battalion hehehe. If curious, here’s my Lolo and Lola’s love story, they got featured in a local TV show Mag TV na just this September 2017. 😉 That was exciting for the whole family! haha

Do you also have a big family?

Simbang Gabi

Who here aims to complete the 9 days novena mass for Simbang Gabi? My Lola would probably try as she is wont to do every December. Dawn mass is one Pinoy Pasko tradition that started from way, way back and one that hopefully will forever live on.

Austerity measure might be followed by churches for this year, that is no lavish spending on Christmas lights and decors but I think most churches will still be alighted and glowing dawn of everyday.   I like the community singing of Christmas song at the end of the Simbang Gabi mass. Others look forward to the 9^th day and the completion of the Simbang Gabi for then they will make their wish for the coming year.

Ikaw? What do you like and look forward to Simbang Gabi?

For the Tagalogs, they have the favorite puto bumbong, but we don’t have that in Cebu. But we do have are bibingka and other local delicacies like tagaktak and masi.

Noche Buena Feast

I’ve told my mom that I am buying the spaghetti,  Christmas ham and cake for Noche Buena, probably something else pa knowing that my siblings will have their special requests. Note: buying not cooking hehehe. We usually have our grandparents with us during Noche Buena and that is because my mom is the eldest child of my Lolo and Lola. I am imagining now the house of my uncle a few walks from us will be “loud” with videoke singing at full blast. Hehehe.

..and the Firecrackers.

Errr I’ve never lit a single pabuto in my life, nope not even 5 Star and definitely will never light up a Sinturon ni Judas or Kwitis or any other firecrackers. No Sir, I’ll stick to my binggala.

Isn’t it awesome that Christmas is near?!!!

These are some of the things I look forward to experience and take delight in every Christmas holidays.

Ikaw? Kayo? How do you celebrate Christmas? What Filipino Christmas traditions you are following?

This post probably reflects just how much I look forward sa Paskong Pinoy. I know not all Filipinos will be able to celebrate Christmas the way we do here in the Philippines especially OFWs and those who are far from home. But no matter where you may be this Christmas season; hope you all will have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Maligayang Pasko sa Lahat!

Malipayong Pasko sa Tanan!

Cille Anne

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