WELLNEWS
VIctor Dumaguing
September yet, things are already looking a lot like Christmas, and the countdown begins. Among other things, Filipinos find collective delight and even pride in telling the world that the Philippines has the reputation as having the longest celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, beating even staunch Catholic countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, the South American nations , and even the most Catholic- in terms of percentage population, Ireland. Indeed the bouncy rhythm of Jingle Bells, Joy to the World and probably the most-sung Filipino carol, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit. dominate the airlanes of radio and television.
A sociologist-teacher in my PreMed once told our class that Filipinos look forward to a " ber" month, still quite far from Christmas month, as another time to be hopeful, to entertain possibilities that for all their cares and woes in the past few months , would be significantly reduced as the real Christmas season draws near. Indeed, the sound of those carols plus the sudden burst of bright colors of red, yellow, greens and gold, mesmerize as well as energize the sagging thoughts of the Filipino, whatever is their status in life.
Christmas 2023 in all likelihood is very different from pandemic years because of its ‘revenge-celebration” in the same manner and proportion of travelling made by Filipinos, both to local and international tourist destination to ventilate, so to speak, their relief and new-found freedom from being quarantined, confined in their homes for so long
Christmas is the merriest and happiest season of the year, full of superlatives- most colorful, most lavish, most musical, with carols in Pilipino, native dialects and English, harmoniously and otherwise dished by wannabe singers of all ages, or the ear-splitting cacophony of a brass band..
Christmas is not Christmas without the family gatherings- be it a reunion of members of a clan, high school or college get-togethers which send many to their favorite cosmetic surgeons before the event- and obviously, the table would be groaning carrying the hefty weight of mouth-watering food, name it, even the simplest Filipino household has a number of delicacies- complete with soup, obligatory fruit salad, entree or main dish, the de riguer lechon, jamon Iberico, chestnuts among the ilustrados and of course, the dedicated spaghetti or the longevity-food pansit of working-class Juan de la Cruz; , sweetness-galore- all those sinful pastries, cookies, bibingka, hot chocolate, puto bongbong- which would send your diabetes doctor convulsing in exasperation at your lack of self-control.. The Filipino is a genius when it comes to rationalizing; ready to explain and even argue that Christmas comes only once a year, besides, there are medicines.
On a more serious note, churches of various religious faith admonish their followers to avoid falling victim to frantic consumerism. Admittedly, all of us, young and old, rich and poor, are caught in the flurry of activities of shopping, and more shopping, and engaging in gluttonous parties in between, with the traffic jams adding to the stress. All of a sudden, every mall announces their biggest sales ever, which make some inveterate shoppers going on a shopping spree, silently wishing they have more than two hands. Admittedly, and sadly, these feverish pace of activity and the desire to accumulate material things have drowned out the genuine meaning of Christmas.
But then, life gives us choices. A choice to celebrate Christmas in the most extravagant, colorful and lavish way, or the opportunity to show to all and sundry that he spirit of Christmas is still very much alive even with the most basic, simple, almost spartan manner. Let us not forget, that there is no greater happiness than togetherness. And what's' a better time to share, to care and show our love and more importantly, our forgiveness for hurts and misdeeds, than Christmas.
So whatever your cares, your worries, your longings and desires of your heart, offer them to the good Lord for their solutions and remedies, and don’t forget to whisper a simple word of thanks. And therefore, from our office, clinic and home, as the song goes, “although it's been said, many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to You
September yet, things are already looking a lot like Christmas, and the countdown begins. Among other things, Filipinos find collective delight and even pride in telling the world that the Philippines has the reputation as having the longest celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, beating even staunch Catholic countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, the South American nations , and even the most Catholic- in terms of percentage population, Ireland. Indeed the bouncy rhythm of Jingle Bells, Joy to the World and probably the most-sung Filipino carol, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit. dominate the airlanes of radio and television.
A sociologist-teacher in my PreMed once told our class that Filipinos look forward to a " ber" month, still quite far from Christmas month, as another time to be hopeful, to entertain possibilities that for all their cares and woes in the past few months , would be significantly reduced as the real Christmas season draws near. Indeed, the sound of those carols plus the sudden burst of bright colors of red, yellow, greens and gold, mesmerize as well as energize the sagging thoughts of the Filipino, whatever is their status in life.
Christmas 2023 in all likelihood is very different from pandemic years because of its ‘revenge-celebration” in the same manner and proportion of travelling made by Filipinos, both to local and international tourist destination to ventilate, so to speak, their relief and new-found freedom from being quarantined, confined in their homes for so long
Christmas is the merriest and happiest season of the year, full of superlatives- most colorful, most lavish, most musical, with carols in Pilipino, native dialects and English, harmoniously and otherwise dished by wannabe singers of all ages, or the ear-splitting cacophony of a brass band..
Christmas is not Christmas without the family gatherings- be it a reunion of members of a clan, high school or college get-togethers which send many to their favorite cosmetic surgeons before the event- and obviously, the table would be groaning carrying the hefty weight of mouth-watering food, name it, even the simplest Filipino household has a number of delicacies- complete with soup, obligatory fruit salad, entree or main dish, the de riguer lechon, jamon Iberico, chestnuts among the ilustrados and of course, the dedicated spaghetti or the longevity-food pansit of working-class Juan de la Cruz; , sweetness-galore- all those sinful pastries, cookies, bibingka, hot chocolate, puto bongbong- which would send your diabetes doctor convulsing in exasperation at your lack of self-control.. The Filipino is a genius when it comes to rationalizing; ready to explain and even argue that Christmas comes only once a year, besides, there are medicines.
On a more serious note, churches of various religious faith admonish their followers to avoid falling victim to frantic consumerism. Admittedly, all of us, young and old, rich and poor, are caught in the flurry of activities of shopping, and more shopping, and engaging in gluttonous parties in between, with the traffic jams adding to the stress. All of a sudden, every mall announces their biggest sales ever, which make some inveterate shoppers going on a shopping spree, silently wishing they have more than two hands. Admittedly, and sadly, these feverish pace of activity and the desire to accumulate material things have drowned out the genuine meaning of Christmas.
But then, life gives us choices. A choice to celebrate Christmas in the most extravagant, colorful and lavish way, or the opportunity to show to all and sundry that he spirit of Christmas is still very much alive even with the most basic, simple, almost spartan manner. Let us not forget, that there is no greater happiness than togetherness. And what's' a better time to share, to care and show our love and more importantly, our forgiveness for hurts and misdeeds, than Christmas.
So whatever your cares, your worries, your longings and desires of your heart, offer them to the good Lord for their solutions and remedies, and don’t forget to whisper a simple word of thanks. And therefore, from our office, clinic and home, as the song goes, “although it's been said, many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to You
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