IF the long list of Christmas trends and traditions was any indication, Filipinos love celebrating the yuletide season. Be it decorating the house with lanterns and ornaments as early as the Ber months begin, going Christmas caroling, or completing Simbang Gabi, Filipinos are known to never run out of ways to signify the festivities. However,…
THE Filipino community in New York and the entire US Northeast officially started their Christmas celebration with the lighting of the colorful parols and the Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado (Night Mass) at the Philippine Center in New York City on 3 December 2020. Every year, the Philippine Center decorates its windows and lobby with parols (traditional Christmas lanterns) and handcrafted items…
While Simbang Gabi (night mass) has been held four times at the Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, it was the first time that it was led by Pope Francis on Sunday, December 15. In his homily, the Pope acknowledged the role of Filipino migrant workers in the growth of Catholicism, saying that while the…
Simbang Gabi (dawn mass) has always been a popular tradition during Christmas in the Philippines, but it is now getting popular in other countries as well — enough that Filipino priests are being requested to celebrate the mass abroad during the Yuletide season. According to Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications head Fr. Roy Belen,…
FILIPINOS are known for their love for food and fellowship, and noche buena — which is Spanish for “night of goodness” — is the epitome of both of those combined. Typically after the last Mass of Simbang Gabi, families go back home to a large spread adorning the dining table. Though families may have created their…
