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Simbang Gabi!
Every 16th of December before dawn breaks, fathers and mothers wake the children from their deep slumber to prepare for the 9-day novena masses which will culminate on December 24th, Christmas eve. With everyone awake in toe, they walk through a cold breeze and a line of barking dogs to the community chapel. At the church, friends nod at one another as they await the Entrance, when the officiating priest enters and walks the aisle with his entourage. During the sermon, the priest sees to it that he keeps the audience from the desire to sleep by cracking a local joke or two before enjoining the community to pray for one another. After the mass, the priest waits at the door to give individual blessings to churchgoers along with handshakes from the adults and Mano Po! from the children. Out in the churchyard after the mass, people gather for breakfast, generously prepared by the assigned sponsors of the day. Here, children look for their ninongs and ninangs for another bout of Mano Po! to remind them of their obligations, fathers plan for a special activity, mothers gather for updates, and foes try to reconcile. The walk home with neighbors is enjoyed with shared memories of the past year: the disasters, the surprises, the losses as well as the triumphs. Finally, an outburst of laughter over an old joke or an observation at the occasion binds the community spirit before the group breaks for their respective abodes.
This is a Catholic tradition among Filipinos which has spanned centuries and continues to sustain the integrity of a united community that respects the family as the center of spiritual growth.
Every 16th of December before dawn breaks, fathers and mothers wake the children from their deep slumber to prepare for the 9-day novena masses which will culminate on December 24th, Christmas eve. With everyone awake in toe, they walk through a cold breeze and a line of barking dogs to the community chapel. At the church, friends nod at one another as they await the Entrance, when the officiating priest enters and walks the aisle with his entourage. During the sermon, the priest sees to it that he keeps the audience from the desire to sleep by cracking a local joke or two before enjoining the community to pray for one another. After the mass, the priest waits at the door to give individual blessings to churchgoers along with handshakes from the adults and Mano Po! from the children. Out in the churchyard after the mass, people gather for breakfast, generously prepared by the assigned sponsors of the day. Here, children look for their ninongs and ninangs for another bout of Mano Po! to remind them of their obligations, fathers plan for a special activity, mothers gather for updates, and foes try to reconcile. The walk home with neighbors is enjoyed with shared memories of the past year: the disasters, the surprises, the losses as well as the triumphs. Finally, an outburst of laughter over an old joke or an observation at the occasion binds the community spirit before the group breaks for their respective abodes.Noche Buena
This tradition puts the Filipino family at the center of everyone’s life. The person is nurtured, developed and sustained within the physical, psychological, social and spiritual resources of the family as society’s basic unit of survival.
Cooking the Christmas Eve supper and the meal after the Christmas Mass offers an enjoyable opportunity for family members to stay home, do things together, and eat their favorite food that usually include ham, keso de bola, fruit salad, bread or native cakes. Also, there’s lechon, fried chicken, beef caldereta, and all other favorite meat recipes. And, yes, the wine! If the family resources allow, gift-giving occurs after the grand meal. Otherwise, it’s a long night of just telling stories about one another outside the home.
The rule is: Family First. This could be one of the major reasons why other nationalities wonder at the Filipino’s sense of helping one another through thick and thin, through generations of relatives. And it does sustain the Filipino family in more ways than we could all ponder.
Bagong Taon!
This tradition highlights the community spirit as they welcome another year through a barrage of celebratory sounds from firecrackers, bells, gongs, and all other possible objects for the purpose.
In celebration of the New Year, neighbors bring out the festive meals and put them on the common table. Again, stories are told of the past year and of plans for the coming year as food is taken any time each one desires. At twelve o’clock midnight, the welcome sounds culminate and everyone takes time to enjoy fireworks in the sky. The human spirit soars to another recharging in preparation for the challenges of another year. Meanwhile, there’s the family and the community to depend on.