Good afternoon to you all. I hope and pray you have all had a prosperous and Merry celebration of Christmas with all your loved ones. I certainly did.
This post is dedicated to the Christmas traditions of the Philippines (Filipino) culture. This annual tradition is referred to as the Simbang Gabi. Its origins go all the way back to after the Spaniards bought Christian Catholicism to the Filipino people. It is essentially a celebrated in the 9 days before Christmas in the form of the Holy Mass. Because it is 9 days it is also known as a novena and a devotion.
There are some interesting facts about the Simbang Gabi:
The Mass is celebrated every morning around 4 AM. The reason for this dates all the back to the days of Spanish occupation. Those people that had to go to work wanted to participate in this devotion. So the people opted to celebrate the mass at 4 AM so that they could worship and still be able to go to work.
In the midst of the mass the people especially present their prayers and petitions to the baby Jesus. These prayers range anywhere from spiritual to material in nature. It is believed that Jesus is especially attentive to these prayers and would grant them because the mass is done in each of the 9 days leading up to Christmas.
After the mass is over the community of Filipinos typically gather in a hall over a meal and have some time to socialize and be merry and eat. It is typical to see a special ornament specifically associated with the Filipino culture during the advent Christmas season. It is called the Parol. It is essentially a lantern and made from paper or capiz shells and bamboo in the form of a star. They also come in many different combinations of colors and are beautiful when lit with a candle or source of light. The star represents the nativity star in the nativity scene!
Thats it for now. Until next time God Bless!