What would constitute a Pinoy Christmas?
Below is a checklist of things Filipinos love to do during the festive season of Christmas:
- Misa de Gallo and that includes puto bumbong, bibingka and tsokolate-e
- putting up Christmas decorations and playing Christmas songs as soon as the -ber months come (and yes, these Christmas decors in the malls are displayed alongside candles for All Souls’ Day)
- food! be it a big slab of ham or a small one, queso de bola, fruit salad, pasta or noodle dishes, special meat dishes, and even the “borrowed” roasted turkey, a Pinoy Christmas is equated with feast (and lots of medications for queasy stomachs after the binging)
- shopping: whether one shops at the poshest specialty stores or haggle with salesgirls at the Divisoria, gift giving is a responsibility one takes to heart. And yes, no matter what happens and how little the budget is, people are none the wiser and say “It’s the thought that counts”
- borrowed traditions: like the turkey, Pinoys are adept at borrowing traditions and acting like these have been their practice for years (insert rolls eyes emoticon here, LOL) : Santa Claus, jour après Noël, Christmas stockings, Christmas village with mini houses and even moving skaters on frozen pond (miniatures and not the real ones)
Ok, bring the snow and let’s all have a white Christmas then, at the mall of course 😀
