Christmas in the Philippines
The celebration of Christmas in the Philippines, to put it mildly, is a big affair. Officially the season starts on December 16, when the daily traditional simbang gabi (or dawn mass) is first held, culminating on an evening mass on Christmas eve. People though, start decorating and playing carols when the -ber months hit. It is not uncommon to see Christmas decor together with Halloween stuff at the end of October. Decors are put everywhere, and are not taken down until the Feast of the Epiphany. Christmas tree made with numerous parol The most iconic of these decors and symbols is the parol, a star-shaped lantern hung in the windows of homes and in the trees. Traditionally the parol is made of a bamboo frame and colored paper, although the modern versions use cellophane and are lighted from within. I remember my dad used to create one, a large parol to adorn our porch. Another Christmas icon that is commonly seen in the Philippines is the Belen. It i...