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 […]
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 […]
Christmas for Filipino Children
Just like anywhere else in the world, Christmas in the Philippines revolves around children. Christmas for Filipino children often means receiving more gifts and being the center of attention, especially on the day itself. Perhaps this is because the first Christmas was about the infant Jesus who was born in humble manger. Pamamasko – Caroling […]
Christmas in the Philippines
The Philippines is not called the “Land of Fiestas” for nothing. With a celebration for each day of the year, this tropical paradise of 7,107 islands truly deserves its title. Of all these festivals, Christmas or ‘Pasko’ is the most awaited. Pasko comes from the Spanish “Pascua de Navidad” which refers to Christmas. Filipinos consider […]
