The Longest Christmas: Why the "Ber Months" Are So Special in the Philippines | LOH #256

Hello, lovely Ladies of Hive! 💖 Hope you're having a wonderful week! ✨

This week’s question by sis @elizabethbit about what to expect this season is really interesting:

2️⃣ If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, what is the one thing you are looking forward to in the fall season? If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, then what is the one thing you are looking forward to in the spring season? If you live in the middle, then what is the one thing you are looking forward to in this season?

Since I live in the Philippines which is close to the equator, I can say that we’re living in the middle. We don’t have fall or spring. We only have two main seasons: the rainy season from June to December and the dry season from January to May.

Although it is the rainy season now, what I am most looking forward to is the approaching Christmas. Christmas in the Philippines is special and is known as one of the longest in the world. It starts in September, just before the “-ber” months, and ends in January. By the time September starts, you will already see the decorations and feel the spirit of Christmas.

The coming months are full of celebrations. By the end of October, there are Halloween parties. In November 1st, we celebrate All Saints' Day where we visit the grave of our bereaved loved ones. But the most awaited is the month of December, where several Christmas parties are held everywhere, and of course, the Christmas Day. This is the time when the whole family gets together to celebrate.

Our tradition is every Christmas Eve, we go to mass then we have a family feast called “Noche Buena” and then have the gift-giving. On Christmas Day, we celebrate together outdoors. When we were kids, we would always go to amusement parks. Now that we are older, we prefer to watch movies or travel to other places. These simple traditions make Christmas so much fun.

I personally look forward to Paskuhan, an annual Christmas event at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), my alma mater. It is usually held 1-2 weeks before Christmas Day. It starts with religious activities and is followed by concerts and pyromusical shows. Even though I have graduated from the university, we are still welcome as alumni. We can even invite our relatives or friends, as long as the grandstand has capacity.

Paskuhan is like a big university-wide party. Every year, the giant Christmas tree is decorated differently, and the surroundings are always stunning with colorful lights and decors. It is always beautiful, and you can really feel the Christmas spirit throughout the campus.

I’m so excited to attend this event again this year since my last visit was before the pandemic started. I want to see how the campus looked like this time with the colorful lights and decorations, the new design of the giant Christmas tree, line up of the bands who will serenade us this Christmas season, and especially the theme of this year’s pyromusical show.

For me, Christmas in the Philippines is more than just a holiday. It is a season filled with love, hope, and unity. That is one of the things I look forward to the most this season.