It’s a cultural cornerstone for Filipinos— as soon as September starts, the garlands come up, the trees come out of storage and parols start lighting up the streets. Filipino Christmas is long, loud and definitely jolly. For most of us, it’s all we’ve ever known.
For millions of Filipinos living overseas, it’s something they yearn for and try to emulate, while being thousands of miles away from home— and most times, away from family.
It can be hard experiencing such a different kind of Christmas, but with the sheer amount of Filipinos abroad right now, you can be sure that you’re not alone in missing home. We asked a few Filipinos some questions on how they’re spending Christmas away from the homeland, and how they bring their own Filipino Christmas to where they are in the world.
How different does the holiday season feel where you are, vs. at home? Aside from the obvious climate differences, of course.
Anna (Canada): “It feels more isolated because it’s hard to go out because of the weather, my family is far away and I live alone.”
Denise (USA): “Christmas caroling in the neighborhood is definitely missing. They have [just] one Christmas antic that I know about, and it’s the elf on a shelf!”
Cara* (Canada): “It definitely feels more festive in the Philippines with the lights, decorations and reunions. It seems brighter and more eventful for sure. I felt that Christmas became quieter for me when I moved here.”
Mary (Canada): “I think this holiday season feels different because of the traditions. Although there are similarities, they aren’t exactly the same. In the Philippines, when the ‘ber’ months roll in, it officially signifies the Christmas season. Holiday rush begins and every single Filipino is out in a mall somewhere. Here, Christmas preparations began [in] late November to early December, but it doesn’t even feel as close to how the Christmas season is in the Philippines.”
Alison* (Australia): “It feels a bit mingaw because the traditions aren’t the same here. Not a lot of people celebrate Christmas, so it gets a bit lonely. Or it feels less festive with the lack of decorations everywhere compared to being back home, where it really looks like Christmas vomited all over Cebu, ha!”
Lyka* (Canada): “It’s a lot quieter. I think people treat it more as a restful time here than back home where it’s parties and feasting all the time.”
Any Filipino traditions you wish you could experience here?
A: “Noche Buena! I think I’ll probably still have that this year, but with friends, and not family.”
D: “Firecrackers and the noise making during salubong/at midnight.”
C: “Even if it sounds like a lot, I actually liked the Simbang Gabi tradition. For some reason, it gave me peace of mind.”
M: “I wish I could experience simbang gabi [here]. In my family, we attended night masses and joined our church ‘pamainit’ fundraiser where we sell traditional Filipino breakfast items like sikwate (hot chocolate), lugaw (rice porridge), and various kakanin (traditional filipino rice based goods).”
A: “Simbang gabi at [Redemptorist Church]! Because of all the food stalls right after mass. There’s simbang gabi here, but it’s not the same because not a lot of people attend. I also miss people caroling door to door.”
L: “I’d love to do karaoke or play Bingo. I could probably do that here, but it’s not the same without a lot of Filipinos.”
To feel the Christmas spirit away from home, I…
A: “[This year], I made Christmas decorations and bought Christmas gifts, also made food and had Christmas potlucks. Usually, back home we’d order food and bring it to potlucks but now I want to be able to cook/bake my own food and bring it to parties.”
D: “Play Christmas music as early as September 1st! And make sure we set up the tree right away.”
C: “I’ve also always enjoyed having quiet, intimate Christmas dinners/family reunions. But back home, there used to be so many games to kill time. I love to bring back those types of activities until midnight.”
M: “I like to listen to Filipino Christmas songs. There’s a TV network back home that releases new ones each year and many viewers anticipate this release.”
A: “Listen to Christmas songs, play Filipino party games and hang out/celebrate with fellow Filos so it feels more homey. Back home, Christmas was always spent with family. Here, we celebrate with other family and friends who moved from Cebu as well, and they’ve sort of become our family too.”
L: “This year I wanted to have a quieter Christmas and just watched some holiday movies. Aside from the cold and everything, I think this holiday away from home is a great chance to start some new traditions and give Christmas a new meaning.”
For the countless Filipinos who couldn’t come home this Christmas, there’s always a way to celebrate the holidays, the Pinoy way. Filipino Christmas is something unique, but much of our traditions and culture is something we can bring along with us and make us feel a little closer to home when we can’t be there in person.
*Name changed at the request of the contributor
