Looking for Asia’s most lavish Christmas? Although Bangkok, Hong Kong or Singapore rival. Just head to the Philippines, Asia’s largest Catholic nation.
MANILA – Forget the over-kitsch Christmas decorations from Bangkok –sometimes to the point of vulgarity with Christmas trees on Rachaprasong Boulevard decorated with credit cards- forget also the over-commercialized street light decorations of Singapore’s Orchard Road. The best place to celebrate Christmas in Asia is certainly in the Philippines. To copy the slogan “It is more fun in the Philippines!”, it is also “More Christmas in the Philippines”. The archipelago has the longest ever Christmas season in the world. It starts at the end of September and generally last until late January.
Approximately 90% of the 100 million inhabitants of the Philippines are Christian with 80% of them being Catholic, due to the presence of Spain in the archipelago since the 16th century. The beauty of the Christmas celebrations in the Philippines –beside the ubiquitous Christmas lighting invading malls and streets of large cities- is still its spiritual content. Filipinos follow the rituals of Simbang Gabi, a series of nine masses hold over nine nights until Christmas Eve. Early morning – or in the evening for the ones who can’t go around 4 am- hundreds of Filipinos rush to beautifully lighted churches ornated with stars for pray. Many churches play the traditional story of the “Shepherds and the Three Kings” in the church’s centre. It is said that the ones who will follow all the masses over the nine nights will have its wish granted during the coming year…
Around the churches, visitors and locals will enjoy Christmas traditional food such as Puto Bungbong and Bibingka. Puto Bungbong is made of glutinous rice and colored in violet added with sugar, margarine or also condensed milk. Bibingka is like a moist cake made of rice or cassava flour.
Other traditions include hanging lanterns in parks and around churches. Called “Parols”, they are made of bamboo and paper and can be seen also in villages. They generally take the shape of stars and look like stainglasses with their multi-coloured pieces of paper. Parols are an indispensable element of any Filipino Christmas celebration, probably equivalent in the western culture to the Christmas tree.
An important part of the celebrations is food gathering with huge Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. The “Noche Buena” is a family gathering event where all members enjoy special Christmas dishes. It goes from barbeque to rice cakes, fruit salads with coconut or the already mentioned Puto Bungbong and Bibingka.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
