Christmas is the most important holiday in my country. It starts in September, where we start decorating our homes, and ends after Three Kings, where we take down our Christmas decorations. We always have a Belen, which is the famous setup of the Birth of Jesus Christ in the manger in Bethlehem. You can find them in all our churches, and many homes during the festival season.  

We have the Parol, the most common centrepiece in any home or church, which are traditional  handmade lanterns made of bamboo and paper, and is lit up at night. We celebrate together as a family after our midnight mass on the 24th of December, to have a very festive meal together at home. Simbang Gabi means “night mass”, which is basically what it is. Filipinos attend mass either late at night or in the wee hours of the morning for all 9 days before Christmas. After each night mass, churches are decorated to add a Christmas flair, and vendors often sell local Christmas goods like bibingka and puto bumbong outside after the mass. These are Filipino sweets made of local ingredients mainly sticky purple rice, coconut and brown sugar for puto bumbong and bibingka is made from rice flour, milk, cheese and grated coconut served on banana leaves. 

Christmas caroling is also one tradition that has become a humorous affair for us.