Lights shimmering and dancing to a merry beat; sweet voices of the children singing in the street; everyone offers each other joy and cheer; there is no doubt that Christmas is here.
Christmas is undeniably one of the most anticipated and most celebrated occasions in the Philippines, and probably one of the longest, for the start of the –ber months is also the commencement of the Christmas season. And what better way to celebrate this jovial event is what Filipinos are very much fond of—foods, and lots, and lots of foods crowding the top of the Christmas table.
Aside from the numerous Christmas parties to attend to, and the generous gift giving, Christmas is known for the delicious and sumptuous foods during the noche buena. As we all well know for a fact that Filipinos are great in the kitchen, every Filipino families’ noche buena table is sure to be full of foods of all shapes and sizes, and, of all colors and tastes.
Of course, there are always the usual favorites or perhaps what others may call, the must-haves in every noche buena. There are the different kinds of pastas: spaghetti, carbonara or macaroni, but other families choose the more traditional like pancit.
Other dishes that are always present are the foods that are proudly made in the Philippines such as the famous adobo, the everyone’s favorites sinigang, kare-kare, mechado, afritada or caldereta. And all the Philippine-made dishes will never be complete unless paired with rice—which most of us Filipinos could not live without. And we should not forget the essentials every Christmas: the Christmas ham and keso de bola at the center.
After a heavy meal there sure are the creamy and cold desserts like macaroni or fruit salad, ice cream, refrigerated cake, brownies, cookies and the sweet list goes on.
Christmas is a very important event generally for most of the Filipino families. Others say it as an assemblage for it brings much closer bond and reunites every family member. No matter how far our distances from each other might be—from California to Philippines or from other places—we Filipinos are really willing to cross the seas so we can be under one roof during this season.
For children, it really gives shape to their attitudes and understanding how Christmas begun. Gift-giving to less fortunate ones is truly a trademark especially to the kids when this occasion comes. This is known to be the solid expression of warm love and affection without expecting anything in return. And for us adults, this is an hour for reflection for what God has done to us the past year.
This season does not need to be costly but be the season of goodwill by means of sharing of unconditional love, care, joy and manifesting peace and forgiveness to all. Christmas will be costly if we overlook the real purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, for He came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
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