Maligayang Pasko!

PACCM PASKO PARTY

Sunday
December 14, 2008
12:00pm

Food and a wonderful program from our Paaralan students!!!

Bring your family and enjoy the fun.

For more information on the event, please contact:
Fred Porte, PACCM Executive Director @ 248-443-7037

Alam mo ba? - Philippine Christmas Traditions

Christmas in the Philippines is a mixture of Western and native Filipino traditions. Santa Clause, Christmas tree, sending Christmas cards, and singing carols have all been inherited from Western culture, however, these have all been adapted to fit the nature and personality of the Filipino people.

Simbang Gabi
Christmas Day in the Philippines is ushered in by the 9 day down masses that start December 16. This novena of Masses is the most important Filipino Christmas tradition. In some parishes, Mass will begin as early as 4:00AM. Going to mass is meant to show the churchgoer's devotion and faith. In traditional Filipino belief, however, completing the novena is also suppose to mean that God would grant the devotee's special wish or favour. After Mass, Filipino families partake in traditional Philippine Christmastime delicacies either at home or from vendors outside the church.

Bisperas ng Pasko
Christmas Eve for Filipinos has the much-anticipated Noche Buena - the traditional Christmas eve feast after the midnight mass. Traditional Noche Buena fare includes: queso de bola (ball of cheese), tsokolate (hot chocolate), and jamon (Christmas ham).

Panunuluyan
In different provinces and schools, Catholic devotees also reenact the journey of Joseph and Mary in search of lodging. The Panunuluyan, also called Pananawagan and Pananapatan, is usually performed after dark on Christmas Eve with the actors portraying Joseph and mary going to pre-designated houses. They change wika wika bang bang, a traditional foldsong that is meant to wake up the owner of the house as the actors ask for lodging. The homeowners turn away the couple through a song and finally, Joseph and mary make their way to the parish church where a manger has been set up. The birth of Jesus is elebrated at midnight.

Misa de Aguinaldo
Prior to the strokd of midnight on the morning of December 25th, the Misa de Aguinaldo is being celebrated. The Misa de Aguinaldo is the Holy Mass which celebrates the birth of Jesus. The Holy Mass is also celebrated at dawn or early morning. After mass, families visit members of the extended family, notably the elders in order to pay their respects. Christmas Lunch usually follows after the Pagmamano.

Ninos Inocentes
Holy Innocents' Day is commemorated on december 28th. The innocents referred to are the children who were killed by order of Herod, who was seeking the death of the newborn Messiah.

Disperas ng Bagong Taon
Filipino families gather for the Media Noche (midnight meal) on New Year's Eve - a feast that is also supposed to symbolize their hopes for the prosperous New Year. Many Filipinos choose firecrackers to celebrate the New Year and drive away bad spirits with the loud sounds and noises. Some Filipinos choose to bang on pots and pans and use car horns to instead. Fold beliefs also include encouraging children to jump at the stroke of midnight so that they would grow up tall, displaying circular fruite and wearing clothes with circular designs to symbolize money, eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck in the 12 months of the year, and opening the windows and doors during the first day of the New year to let in the good luck.

Tatlong Hari
Christmas officially ends on the Feast of the Three Kings (the Feast of the Epiphany) which was traditionally celebrated on January 6th (known in other countries as Twelfth Night) but is now celebrated on the first Sunday after the New Year. Some children leave their shoes out so that the Three Kings would leave gifts inside.