War is Over: Merry Christmas

 The Christmas Season is a big deal to the Pilipino Culture. We start celebrating or preparing for Christmas starting from September 1. Celebrating with family is a huge deal, because you can get to spend time with them, through love and happiness. Christmas Seas
on is also the season of giving, giving is not only by materialistic things, but can also be given through love and presence. 

One of the well known tradition for Christmas preparation is, the novena mass at midnight and at night, or also known as the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo. Its a mass you can attend through the mass of 9 days, can be at night or midnight. It starts at the night of 15 and midnight of 16, and end at the night and midnight of 24. This mass symbolize for the preparation of the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. There are also some foods commonly eaten after the mass, just like: puto bumbong and bibingka.  

The key tradition of Pilipino Christmas is Celebrating it at 12MN, this has been a well kept tradition as it's still done today. The food at the table varies to the family, but most of the time, there's spaghetti, pancit and the most favorite the mango graham. Most family go to the church to attend the mass and to celebrate as a family. Just like going out on a vacation and spending time together,  in beach resorts or swimming resorts. 

But there's also school traditions, such as the exchange gift with classmates, where you pick a name out of a bucket or hat, and that person is the one you're gone to have to give a gift to, commonly there's a wish list with it so you have an idea what to buy them. And the most anticipating Christmas Party, in this you get to play games like: traditional or modern games, the exchange gift and the eating of foods after. Most students are excited because of this because they get to spend time with their classmates and adviser for the last time that year.

The real essence of Christmas is not the gifts, but presence of family, love, care, and happiness you get. It doesn't mean you only receive or give those at Christmas, but everyday. And the most important part of it is the Celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.