We have this thing called "-BER" months that spark the start of Christmas in the Philippines. Although we can already hear Christmas carol and songs being played on the radio as early as SeptemBER, it's only today, December 16, that the Christmas spirit is undeniably in every corner of the Philippines.
It's the start of the "night mass" or what we call simbang gabi or Misa de Gallo in Spanish. Philippines, being one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other one being East Timor), celebrates Christmas as the biggest holiday of the year. Simbang gabi starts at 4 o'clock in the morning in some parishes. And attending simbang gabi for nine days consecutively until Christmas eve, will make your Christmas wish come true, as what we have believed in.
The last time I attended simbang gabi was in 1995. Wow, that was 14 years ago! What I miss about Misa de Gallo are the native delicacies being sold by vendors outside the church: bibingka and puto bumbong and having with hot native chocolate drink. That's what I'd buy for breakfast at home.
Ahhhhh... Pasko na naman... :-)
It's the start of the "night mass" or what we call simbang gabi or Misa de Gallo in Spanish. Philippines, being one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other one being East Timor), celebrates Christmas as the biggest holiday of the year. Simbang gabi starts at 4 o'clock in the morning in some parishes. And attending simbang gabi for nine days consecutively until Christmas eve, will make your Christmas wish come true, as what we have believed in.
The last time I attended simbang gabi was in 1995. Wow, that was 14 years ago! What I miss about Misa de Gallo are the native delicacies being sold by vendors outside the church: bibingka and puto bumbong and having with hot native chocolate drink. That's what I'd buy for breakfast at home.
Ahhhhh... Pasko na naman... :-)
1 comment:
I so miss Christmas in the Philippines too!
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