WQ: Christmas Traditions

What are the Christmas traditions you and your family practice?

I find it hard to say what Christmas tradition we follow religiously because we have tried some variations of it over the years but some of them didn't stick. I have mentioned in my previous post Cherish the Memories, that we had quite a few traditions going.

We shall never forget the favorite Christmas tradition, Noche Buena. It is definitely a must in most, if not all, Filipino families. Everyone gathers at our house and we usually have two or three Fiesta Ham “balls” (although the ones that I find in the grocery store here are yummier), bacon, spaghetti, fried chicken, chicken salad and my grandmother’s special Humba recipe that no one else can make. We’ve added a few dishes in our repertoire however and that was my double chocolate cake (that I stopped making because I hate the mess afterwards), my infamous lasagna with white sauce (yum yum) and my special potato salad (with lots of boiled egg and bacon). When my hubby (then my BF) started spending Christmas in our house, he also added his special Balbacua to the fray and it has become a family favorite!

My grandmother was big on Christmas decors and my mom, being the ingenious shopper that she is, sent us the whole deal – the tree, decors, lights, you name it! She even included a small Christmas Village set for us to display in our living room (we used perla soap and salt to make fake snow). We used to have the Nativity Scene on display at my grandparent’s house though. We did decorate last year but I didn’t set up the Christmas Village because it was too much of a hassle to clean up.

I also mentioned that we always have fireworks by midnight. We used to have a lot but since the prices of fireworks have increased, we just keep it to a minimum. Oh, and I can’t help but add how Mommy Shine my six year old Dalmatian is scared stiff of fireworks! I remember how she cowers underneath my computer desk while I’m online shivering and now since P is stuck with her (he has spoiled her rotten), she follows him around the house whenever she hears fireworks!

We used to have the manito-manita or Secret Santa but it didn’t stick. I think it’s because the adults hate shopping and don’t like the idea of it as much as we kids did.

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WQ: Cherish the Memories

I'm back and I am excited to reminisce and share my Christmas experience after I posted a...melancholy post. Now, on to the question.

What special Christmas memories do you still cherish as the years pass by?

I cannot pinpoint a single Christmas memory because there have been quite a lot that colored my past but I have learned to appreciate every memory.

I remember Christmas dinner at my grandparents house with my father's family. My grandfather was one who loved Christmas and spared no expense when it came to Christmas dinner and the decorations. Everywhere you looked there were various twinkling lights on the outdoor plants and I remember the tall Christmas tree and the presents underneath it, it was enough to make a little girl excited! Approaching 12 midnight, we would all gather in the porch and see the grown-ups set up the fireworks and by 12, all of them where airborne.

When my grandfather died, Christmas wasn't the same. We didn't have the same Christmas spirit that we used to have when he was still alive. We didn't gather at their old house anymore so we had Christmas dinner at our place. It was my grandmother who made our Christmas special. She would always take out the decorations and encouraged me to participate in the preparations. It was during this time that I started baking and helping out in the kitchen. This time, I was happy to try out new things like my fudge chocolate cake and my infamous lasagna. Ham, bacon and hotdogs were a staple and my grandmother would make her famous humba and estofado. Yumm yumm! We invited everyone for Christmas dinner and we also had the fireworks; our very own Christmas tradition.

There is no Christmas like a Filipino Christmas. With me in another country, I can only wish that I was back home...if only in my dreams...

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Eye HEART Pinas

Perhaps one of the things that I miss is being in my own country. I guess I never realized it until I left the Philippines for the first time three years ago. I was the typical Pinoy who had a bad case of "colonial mentality." Sure, I liked things "made in the Philippines" but more often than not, I patronized imported goods.

It wasn't until I left the country that I craved to be back to the place where I grew up. It wasn't because I missed someone back home (that was a factor, too) but it was because being in another country made me realize that I didn't appreciate my roots. Typically, I scorned everything Filipino: from music, to movies, to the government (of course, it is still something to scorn at), you name it.

I was wrong. It was only this time where I appreciated OPM music, well not all of them were good but I learned to appreciate Filipino artists and the Philippines as a whole. I guess you could say that I hungered to hear about anything that reminded me of home that my ears immediately perked up everytime I heard people speak in Tagalog or any other Filipino dialect. I still do, as a matter of fact.

I feel a sense of shame sometimes because I haven't been to different places in the Philippines. Yup, I was just constrained to the Visayas and to Negros Oriental where Dumaguete City, my hometown is located. It's true, it seems like I have been to different states of the US than in the different provinces of the Philippines.

My Lakbayan grade is D!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

A few years ago, I also saw an ad campaign for WOW Philippines on T.V. and it made me think about the natural beauty of the Philippines. You might have seen it a few times already, but it is a song recorded by 21 Filipino artists promoting Philippine tourism. The song is called "Byahe Tayo" composed by Rico Blanco and MikeVillegas; lyrics by Rene Nieva, and arranged by Angelo Villegas.

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