What Filipinos missing while celebrating Christmas
Traditional Filipino way of celebrating Christmas
Christmas is generally a family celebration in Philippines with all members including extended members coming to join on Christmas Eve. The Misa de Aguinaldo (the rooster's mass or main mass) celebrated at Ten o'clock the traditional way on December 25 when all members of the family gather in Church to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ.
The Filipinos also visit family members as we do in our country on the festival occasion to pay respects to the elder relatives and give them the gifts. As per the old customs of Philippines, the people ask for the blessings of elders by touching their hands to foreheads as mark of respect to elders. Elders not only bless the person who comes asking for blessings but elders pay some money as well to their loved and dear ones.
Seeing the way we are celebrating our festivals today, question comes to mind that where has all the Christmas spirit gone? This is how a Filipino thinks today when he sees the traditions not followed properly or people paying lesser attention in his country to the most celebrated festival allover the world.
The longest holiday session
Christmas consider this season as the longest holiday session in many countries that observes Christmas. Most people start as early as end of September preparing for the festival by setting up decorations symbolizing the spirit of Christmas. Most households preferably set the Christmas tree first among many decorations simply because people start buying gifts three months before the gift giving on the eve of Christmas and set the gifts around the Christmas tree.
Everyone makes it a point to list names of the friends, the shopping lists to where to buy items on reduced prices. Kids excitedly expect piles of gifts as high as the Christmas tree. Children start to behave believing that Santa Claus is coming to town watching every kid and checking who deserves the best gift. However, this tradition slowly fades in time due to this global crisis and Christmas spirit seems to suffer the same fate.
No more stars in the night
Lantern is one of the many Christmas décor, it comes in different sizes and shapes but the most popular design is the star. The star lantern design symbolizes the Eastern star that guided the ‘Three Wise Men’ addressed by the Catholic Church as the three Kings on their way to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. People hang lighted star lanterns outside their houses particularly on their windows honoring the Three Kings as the first guests to visit Jesus who was humbly born in a manger. Decades ago cities among the Christian countries hanged big-lighted star lanterns on the streets soon as September comes, this serves as a reminder that Christmas is fast approaching. Most cities are shining like a big bright star every night, but that was long ago. Sadly, the Christmas spirit of lanterns is slowly fading away.
The forgotten religious songs
Christmas songs used to play on the radio before the first Christmas tree set in households, city-parks and malls. Caroling was one of the most awaited parts of this particular season. Children dressed in fancy attires singing lively in front of houses and knocking the doors for token gifts or foods. Even some adults participated in this mission to raise funds for street children and orphanages. Silent Night is one of the most popular song sung by carolers give shiver to listeners when sang emotionally. The song is very short but the lyric is enough to describe the holiness the day when Jesus Christ was born.
Caroling defines Christmas spirit by serenading people, to remind everyone that once upon a time The Savior was born. Nowadays, youngsters rarely practice caroling and even small kids seldom follow this tradition anymore. Perhaps little kids observed that, soon as they start singing the house owner apologizes and ask them to come back on Christmas day. Therefore, kids come out with new trend to replace the customary caroling of collecting coins. On Christmas day, they knock every door greeting neighbors, relatives and family a Merry Christmas while showing a small basket on their hands. Eventually that saves them from singing lengthy songs every night but it denotes sadly that Christmas songs slowly forgotten by younger generation.
Fewer children hanging empty socks on the walls
Small kids expect a gift from Santa Claus by hanging empty socks with a request letter inside. Kids used to pray heart full of hopes and absolutely assured for a dream gift from Santa. Some of the kids spend sleepless night trying to remain awake hoping to get a glimpse of Santa coming on his sleigh and Rudolf the red nose reindeer. On the morning of Christmas day, most kids check their empty socks anticipating and hoping that their wishes granted. However, either most kids today do not want to hang their empty socks anymore to avoid disappointment or maybe even the innocent kids understand that Santa is also going through the global crisis therefore, not able to fulfill all their demands.
The decreasing festive spirit
The Christmas trees in living rooms are becoming with fewer gifts wrapped properly around them. Malls are getting lesser decorated that make elderly wonder why the festival is losing its old traditions to give way to unexpected changes. There are lanterns hanged beside the streetlights but with lesser brightness to save energy. There are no more all the windows of the houses seen with hanging lanterns now people just go through the motions with only one lantern.
Christmas songs seldom played on radio because the younger generation finds it too awkward and not to their taste any more. There are fewer such songs on the TV, which modified and made to suit the taste of music lovers of the present time. There are no empty socks hanging on walls for small kids to check. Where are all the Christmas spirit gone? Shall we ask 'does Christmas spirit still exist in every heart for a reason or Christmas is just an ordinary holiday?
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