Christmas Pilipino Style

• The Christmas season here runs from September through January
   
• Wrapping paper is sold in individual size sheets instead of rolls
   
• The big rush at the grocery store completely filled the pasta isle.  Spaghetti is the big Celebration Meal of the Philippines.
   
• They understand the value of Christmas.  When you ask anyone what their plans are for Christmas day, the answer is….. “We will be with family, and if there is money, we will have a (special) meal.”  Not having money, gifts, or a Christmas meal does not in any way ‘take away’ from Christmas.
   
• Christmas Caroling takes on a whole new meaning.  It starts weeks before Christmas and is super cute the first few times Children come to the door in groups singing all kinds of English Christmas carols.  But, then after the 6^th or 7^th group that night…..every night….. for 2 weeks….. it gets a little old.  To top it off, we found out we were supposed to be paying them for coming by!  What!  If we pay them, then more will come for sure!!  Something about this just does not seem right….. But, its basically like Halloween, they go house to house singing for a small ‘gift’.  I will share more about our dilemma in a future post. 

• We all put up stockings.  Mine was a purse I got in Honduras :0)
   
• Rules for stockings….. it must be edible, light weight, or something you don’t mind of the person does not bring with them (weight restrictions and all).  Needless to say, there was a lot of snacking going on!
   
• Christmas eve consists of bucket washing your hair for the first time in a week so at least your hair smells OK :0)
   
• We got to give out Christmas bags to the children that gather for weekly Bible Studies.  We had the privilage of doing Bible Story skits each week, and culminated with a skit about the Birth of Jesus.

• Christmas shopping is a whole different game
  • Verifying your selection
    • Remote control cars for the pastors kids….         
      • After selecting the cars, the attendant brought us to the counter and proceeded to open the boxes and take everything out.  Confused, I inquired as to why he was breaking open the new(ish) box.  It turns out you need to test it before leaving.  Good thing we did because ½ of the ‘new’ cars were dirty, had corroded batteries, or did not work at all.  Apparently, this is quite common.  The assumption that a new purchase will function is not universal.
  • The purchase….
    • Once you select your item, or if you begin walking around with the item in your hand…. A friendly associate proceeds to usher you to a counter where a hand written ‘slip’ is written on scrap paper.  You need this receipt in order to check out.
    • You have pay ‘per floor’.  Meaning, that even within the same store, you have to pay for your purchases before you go to another level. 
    • While checking out, no matter what they have in the drawer, they always try to get you to pay with exact change.  If you can’t, they try and get you to use smaller and smaller bills, even when they have enough money in the drawer.  But, you just have to stand firm because you can only use larger bills (the equivalent of $5 is large) in the ‘mall’ (Gaissanos), in the Barangay, or on the street, they literally do not have change.
    • Then, they staple your bag closed with the receipt to be checked by a security guard before leaving the store, and then again before leaving the mall completely.
• How my Philippino Christmas had lots of my Family Traditions woven in….
  • I gave everyone glass Coke bottles in their stockings
  • I received Ferro Rochet candy in my stocking
  • I watched White Christmas
  • Stockings were the best part
  • We had part of our celebration on Christmas Eve, and part on Christmas day
  • We opened gifts by candle light (throw back to Santa Lucia when I was a kid)
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Merry Christmas from Team Tumbler