| Pasko: A Filipino Christmas |
By: Michelle Villanueva, Celebrations Columnist
On 12/17/05
The thing I love most about the holidays is the emphasis on spending time with family. Christmas played a big role in my family's traditions. Preparing for Christmas dinner, like the huge undertaking of Thanksgiving, was an all-day affair.
| "The Philippines may hold the world record in early Christmas decorations as some stores put them up in the middle of September!" |
The kitchen buzzed with activity from the moment the first family member woke up on Christmas morning. Presents were left under the tree unopened while everyone gathered at the dining room table, shared stories, and ate.
We rarely had Christmas ham with all the expected side dishes. Instead, a collection of dishes from my parents' native country, the Philippines, graced the dining room table year after year. If you're feeling a little adventurous and wish to share a small bit of a unique culture with your child, try out these Filipino Christmas customs and recipes this holiday.
Like many other Roman Catholic countries, the Philippines puts a huge emphasis on celebrating Christmas, treating it as a major festival each year. In fact, the Philippines may hold the world record in early Christmas decorations as some stores put them up in the middle of September!
The festival itself, called "Pasko," lasts for three weeks, beginning on December 16th and ending on January 6th--during the Feast of the Epiphany. There are processions and parades. Carolers travel from house to house, singing for charity or, in the case of the younger ones, for candy. Masses are held during this time as everyone prepares to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child.
The Christmas story says that a bright star shining above Bethlehem heralded the birth of the Christ Child. To celebrate the Star of Bethlehem, Filipinos create gigantic star-shaped lanterns called "parols." A parol is a brightly decorated stylized star created from a bamboo frame, papier-mâché, and crepe paper.
Myparol.com has a craft project that teaches children how to make their own parols. The project is a little complicated, so this might be a project for you and your child to do together. It suggests using bamboo sticks, but I've discovered that chopsticks, whittled down so that they're no longer tapered at one end, work quite well too. If you wish to keep things simple, you can create a similar star from construction paper and ribbons.
Another traditional Filipino Christmas decoration--familiar to people in many other countries too --is the crèche, a model of the scene of Christ's birth. Family Fun magazine has a kid-friendly crèche project that can be created from yarn and pipe cleaners.
Filipino food has a lot in common with Chinese food, especially in the common emphasis of mixing meats and vegetables in a dish together. In addition to soy sauce, which is found in kitchens throughout Asia, Filipino cooking includes large amounts of vinegar and "patis" or fish sauce. Imagine a brownish liquid which tastes of anchovies, and you'll have a good idea of what patis is.
Here is a list of recipes for my personal favorite Filipino dishes. Not coincidentally, these are also what my family cooks for Christmas dinner.
- arroz caldo - This chicken and rice soup is so thick that it's sometimes referred to as a type of porridge. Rich and savory, it would make a great first course on a cold Christmas day. Arroz caldo is also considered a Filipino comfort food and ideal if one is ill.
- lumpia - These are the Filipino version of Chinese egg rolls. When I was younger, I rolled the filling into the lumpia wrappers. So, this recipe is great for children who wish to help out in the kitchen without needing to approach the stove.
For a different sort of treat, you can make banana lumpia instead.
- cut a banana in half and then split the pieces lengthwise.
- fold a lumpia wrapper around each piece of banana and fry as normal
- sprinkle with powdered sugar (or you can do what I do and drizzle them with maple syrup. Yum!)
- pancit - This dish is similar to Chinese chao mein, with noodles (in this case, clear rice noodles) and vegetables mixed in together.
- adobo - This version (chicken and pork) is the one most familiar to me.
- bibingka - A sort of Filipino cake, though I'd call it a brownie instead. It's quite dense and chewy, and the pieces of crunchy shredded coconut balances out the softness.
I'm delighted to have an opportunity to share some of my family's Christmas traditions with you. Don't be afraid to incorporate different customs into your own Christmas celebrations. This is a great time to teach your child about the world beyond their neighborhood so please take advantage of it.
Salamat (thank you) and Maliyang Pasko! (Merry Christmas!)
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