Christmas is a time of joy and happiness. It brings family and friends together and for many, it gives us hope for the future. Christmas is a time of joy in the world and a time of love for people and our community. For Christians, every 25th of December we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a time for peace and spreading love on earth.
Christmas is a feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmas, which historically in the West lasts 12 days and culminates on the 12th Night. Christmas day is a public holiday in many countries, and it is celebrated religiously by Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season organized around it.
Christmas Day in the Philippines is primarily a family affair. The Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass) is celebrated on December 25th and is usually one of several Masses that all family members attend together. The Misa de Gallo is customarily celebrated at midnight by many Filipinos who stay up late on Christmas Eve for the night-long celebration of the Noche Buena (Good Night).
On Christmas morning, Filipinos typically visit their extended family, especially to pay their respects to senior relatives. This custom of giving respect is enacted through the Pagmamano, an “honoring-gesture” used in Filipino culture performed as a sign of respect to elders and. as a way of requesting a blessing from the elder. A supplicant takes the back of an elder’s hand and presses it against the forehead while giving the greeting, Mano Po. The elder often responds by reciting a blessing or simply acknowledging the gesture, and in return gives Aguinaldo or money in the form of crisp banknotes, often placed in a sealed envelope such as an ang pao.
Canada is a melting pot of cultural backgrounds and because of this, there are many different Christmas traditions in Canada. Traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation from one family may differ depending on cultural dynamics. Regardless, it is customary that Canadians send Christmas cards to their friends and family and exchange gifts.
Many Canadian open their gifts on Christmas Eve and some only open their stockings on Christmas eve. Others choose one gift to open, then save the rest until Christmas Day. Like many around the world, Canadians like to decorate their houses with Christmas Trees, lights, and other decorations. There are often Christmas stockings hung by the fireplace, ready for Santa! Families would gather to share a meal that is is often roast turkey with vegetables and all the trimmings like mashed potatoes and vegetables, and of course we cant forget the traditional favorite Christmas desserts which include Christmas/ plum puddings and mincemeat tarts.
Like other holidays, western society eventually had a way of commercializing Christmas as a well. From gift wrapping to Christmas trees, department store Santa’s and beyond, what started as a religious holiday had taken on a commercial significance with exchanging extravagant gifts. Least we forget the true gift is the gift of life and the love of family and friends with the real meaning of this magical occasion is to commemorate the birth of the savior Jesus Christ. This holiday season, lets remember to keep “Christ” in Christmas.