The Tallest Christmas Tree in the Philippines
Right about now, Christmas trees are sprouting all over the world. It’s almost Christmas — the most wonderful time of the year! In the Philippines, carols have started playing and lights a-blinking since September. The season is a big deal in this country and cities hold a “silent” contest for the best displays, biggest lanterns, […]
Best Christmas Gift for New Parents
Becoming a new parent is a surreal experience. All the firsts are committed to memory, especially the baby’s first holiday. Getting the best Christmas gift for new parents is one way to make the season even more memorable. New parents are eternally happy and perpetually exhausted. I would know, I have a 20-month-old. If you […]
Christmas Food Delivery in the Philippines
Getting food delivered to your homes has become the norm in the Philippines. Ever since WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, food deliver services have proliferated in the country. So it should not come as a surprise that Christmas food delivery in the Philippines will be quite popular this year. Until recently, only […]
Holiday Eats: Kare-Kare
Kare-kare is another favorite dish in most Filipino households. It is considered an everyday dish but it is so well-loved that it also merited a place on the esteemed Christmas table. Kare-kare is an oxtail peanut stew often eaten with shrimp paste as a condiment. There are many ways to cook this dish but for […]
Monito Monita: The Filipino Secret Santa
Christmastime is a time for giving gifts! We give and receive presents more freely during the season because everyone is feeling a bit more generous. If you’re spending Christmas in the Philippines, be prepared to participate in group gift exchange called Monito Monita. Gift Exchange Though Christmas is centered on children, the spirit of gift giving […]
Holiday Destination: Cebu City
Known as the Queen City of the South, Cebu offers a perfect marriage between the old and the new. It is home to the oldest street in the country, Calle Colon and the oldest religious icon brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards, the statue of Sto. Nino de Cebu housed in the Basilica Minore […]
Holiday Eats: Crispy Pata
Lechon is perhaps the most festive of all Filipino dishes! But for people who don’t have access to lechon or find it beyond their budget, crispy pata is a great alternative. Just like the equally tasty lechon kawali, crispy pata has the same crunchy pork skin and flavorful meat, only the former is made from […]
Simbang Gabi: The 9-Day Filipino Christmas Tradition
Simbang Gabi is a religious tradition brought by the Spanish to the Philippines. Nine mornings before Christmas Eve, Catholics wake up very early to go to church and attend mass. Most Filipinos believe that whoever attends all nine morning masses until Misa de Gallo will have a wish granted. Everyone attends Simbang Gabi starting on […]
The Longest Christmas in the World
Filipinos are proud to claim that they have the longest Christmas in the world. At the start of the months ending in ‘ber’, mothers start rummaging through boxes for all things Christmas. Trees, twinkling lights, angel figurines and baubles begin to adorn homes. Carols begin to play on the radio and pipe-in music in shopping […]
Holiday Destinations: Metro Manila
Bright lights, big city. Metro Manila is a destination for the modern globe trotter! Experience the sights and sounds of the Filipino Christmas without traveling too far from the comforts of an ultra-modern city. Manila is a melting pot of different cultures, not just from all over the Philippines, but from other parts of the […]
