Special Holidays
 
The Philippines has a lot of special holidays: Christmas    (Pasko), New Year (Bagong Taon), Halloween ( Araw ng mga Patay) and Fiesta (Araw ng Kasiyahan).

Filipinos give as much importance to celebrating Christmas as any other country.  Two weeks from Christmas, children go from house to house to sing Christmas carols, and to inform each family that the spirit of Christmas is up.  They also collect money from the carols they sing.  When Christmas is over they divide the money they earned within the group. Christmas trees, Christmas lights, gifts, and foods are prepared early.

Typically, we have three special days of Christmas.  We call the 23rd Santa Maria, the 24th Des Piras, and 25th Pasko in the Philippines.  On Christmas Eve, families get together and eat. We call that meal as "Noche Buena".  On Christmas Day, kids and adults go to their relatives and friends to exchange gifts.  Christian families include going to church as part of their celebration.  Kids usually go to their god parents and kiss their hands and of course will expect some gifts from them.

On January 1, New Year is celebrated in the Philippines.  On the night before New Year, people gather on the streets, and watch concerts and pageants.  As midnight strikes, fireworks will be all over the town.  People make loud noises to indicate that New Year has come.  Filipinos have so many superstitions about New Year and you may read some of them under Superstitions.  Some are really quite funny.

Halloween is also celebrated in the Philippines.  It is called All Souls Day in my country. It is celebrated for the memory of the dead people.  People visit the graves of their dead loved ones.  They bring candles and flowers and say a prayer.  Families gather around the grave and stay there all day.

Fiesta is one of the loudest and the most exciting holidays in the Philippines.  Fiesta is a big celebration that involves big expenses because all relatives and families meet, like a reunion.  The main food we serve on Fiesta is Lechon or roasted pig ( discussed earlier under Food ).  During Fiesta there's an event called "The Santa Crusan."  This event involves the Parade of Saints on which people work on floats for the statues of the saints.  Young couples wear traditional clothes and join the parade.  Rides, games, and shows contribute to the big celebration and the excitement.  

Almost every weekend, there is a Fiesta somewhere in the Philippines in remembrance of a saint of a particular town.  Fiesta is well observed in the rural areas of the country but not in Manila where everyday seems to be like a Fiesta.

Here in my place, Fiesta is always on the last weekend of September to remember the good deeds of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint.  I usually cook some food just in case some friends will come by my house 'coz here you don't need to invite during Fiesta, they just know when to go... lol.  And usually it involves lots of drinking so I prepare more finger foods than main dishes and of course... lots of beer and Tequilaaaaaaaa !!!
 
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Created by Cynthia L. Lopez