Do you Celebrate Christmas?
By errielle
@errielle (442)
Philippines
December 6, 2007 1:25am CST
Philippines is known to be one of the Christian Countries in Asia. And as a Christian country, we really celebrate Christmas. We put importance on Christmas season. We do not have work during the holidays, and we have what we call "9 mornings" in preparation for the Christmas day. Children have "caroling" and they have Christmas parties. We have "noche buena" where we gather around and share food during Christmas eve. and many more.... it's really a family oriented Christmas celebration.
How do you celebrate Christmas? Do you really celebrate it?
5 people like this
14 responses
@makatas (1098)
• Greece
6 Dec 07
Yeah, here in Greece we also celebrate Christmas.Its a family holiday, we gather with friends at houses, whole families and have dinner and exchange gifts, maybe also dance.The house is always decorated with lights and Christmas tree and such.If people decide to go out instead of spending time in the house, they would enjoy themselves till the other day's morning listening to singers perform live.
3 people like this
@megumiart (3771)
• United States
6 Dec 07
I live in America, and my family and i celebrate Christmas. We just gather, exchange presents and have a big meal together.
3 people like this
@smacksman (6053)
•
6 Dec 07
I love the Christmas season. It is a time for family and friends and in the UK it is still the main festival of the year.
Our church will be decorated and the crib set out. We will have carol services, midnight mass and Christmas Day service when the church is packed to overflowing even though we live in a little village of only 200 houses.
And the invitations to parties are coming in fast and we will be going to a dozen or more before and after the 25th. and catching up on all the news.
Now that the UK is even more multi-religious it is interesting to see that most religions have a mid-winter celibration so we all get in the party mood.
1 person likes this
@Harley009 (1416)
• India
18 Dec 07
I'm from India and a Muslim. India is a secular country all religions practice and celebrate their festival here.
Christians celebrate Christmas here, also few non-Christians celebrate Christmas as an occasion. govt has holiday for Christmas.
I have visited some of my Christian friend's home on Christmas day and had some special dishes with them.
Merry Christmas!
@Harley009 (1416)
• India
18 Dec 07
Is there Holidays for two Eid festivals of Muslims in Philippines?
@errielle (442)
• Philippines
18 Dec 07
Are you referring to Eid al-Adha??? We have this Muslim Holiday here on Thursday, December 20, in this part of the Philippines. Are you referring to this Holiday? But anyway, some places in the Philippines, like Zamboanga City honor muslim holidays. This is to show respect to our Muslim brothers and sisters in the community =)
@Harley009 (1416)
• India
20 Dec 07
Yes, the same holiday!
Called Eid-ul-Adha(EID of Sacrifice)!
It's the memory of the prophet Abraham, his history and his devotion to God. When he got message from God to sacrifice his son Ismael, who born very lately and he decided to sacrifice his son. (Christian/Jewish belief differs and says it's the son Issac).
Also the memories of His wife when she gave birth to the son in the desert and she ran between mountains for water.
This EID day is our day of pilgrimage called 'Hajj', millions of Muslims all over the world goto Mecca to do the sacred Pilgrimage.
@beauty_ph (2749)
• Philippines
6 Dec 07
I look forward to celebrating Christmas each year. I love it spent with families and friends. This is the season of getting together.
The most important part for me is offering my self to complete the 9 masses, may it be at dawn or evening in the so called "simbang gabi" or "misa de gallo". I makes me feel so good without an absent for 9 days. I feel worthy of celebrating Christmas in this way.
@bing_r77 (237)
• Philippines
9 Dec 07
hello beauty! yeah its so nice to celebrate christmas with our family and friends.. and its good of you that you completed the "simbang cabi" or the "misa de gallo" with out absent... me? hmmmm, its so hard for me to wake up early in the morning.... hehehhe.
@sweetsagittarius (64)
• China
6 Dec 07
en ,some of us in China celebrate Christmas,most may be the youth or the foreigners working in China.But our Spring Festival is like your Christmas.We have a long holiday,all the big family forgathered to have delicious food .Then we children may play fireworks ,buy balloons,go out;the adult may play mah-jong or card at home.There are so many entertainment on the streets.So it's happy time to us.
Oh,and the youth may recieve money which is wrapped in a red bag by the eldship.
@cuichaoing (14)
• China
7 Dec 07
hello
In our country the Spring Festival is the best gala day .Especially the children the are enjot it very much .
@sweetsagittarius (64)
• China
18 Dec 07
Our Spring Festival is determined by Chinese lunar calendar.So the Spring Festival is the first day in the first month in Chinese lunar calendar.The new coming Spring Festival is at February 7,2008.
@erminiasanjose (1588)
• Philippines
18 Dec 07
We do not celebrate Christmas which is a Roman Catholic tradition. That is not in the Holy Bible. The apostles did not celebrate Christmas. Besides the Lord Jesus definitely was not born in December 25.
@errielle (442)
• Philippines
18 Dec 07
Hi! Thanks for the information. Maybe, not only Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas. I have many Christian friends, who are not Catholics also celebrate Christmas. Whether Lord Jesus was really born December 25, I think it's still a good thing to celebrate the birth of a very important person in our Life. ;) thank you!
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
6 Dec 07
Yes I agree it's the happiest celebration here in the Philippines, though Church authorities would say that Easter should be the most important because that is when Jesus saved us.
I'm too lazy to wake up for the dawn masses and I'm not a big spender when it comes to gifts. In fact I still have to work on our Christmas tree. It's still in the box!
@psyche49f (2502)
• Philippines
6 Dec 07
Yup, we do celebrate Christmas the way you do....of course each home may have different ways of celebrating it, but more or less, the spirit and essence is there...But the most important thing is that we don't lose sight of the reason why we celebrate it...all others are just trimmings...
@caroliewrites (205)
• United States
6 Dec 07
Hi Errielle,
Thank you for sharing some info. on your countries Christmas traditions. What fun it is to learn to about someone else way of life and, how nice to know that other cultures share the same beliefs as I do. Merry Christmas and God Bless you and yours.
@caroliewrites (205)
• United States
9 Dec 07
Hi again Errielle,
Sorry it took me so long to respond. To answer your ques. I am from Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States. We celebrate Christmas pretty much the same way as you do it sounds like. We have a tree and caroling and lots of fudge and divinity and presents. But mostly we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. We attend church and give thanks for our many blessings.
Again, Merry Christmas to you and to your family.
@fanji008 (775)
• China
6 Dec 07
Hi,there! Nowadays Christmas Day is very popular in my country.Young people like this festival pretty much.So we do celebrate that.Usually on Christmas Eve,you'll see many things in the streets.Last weekend I've already seen a big Christmas tree in front of a big shopping mall.People were trying to decorate it.It looks pretty nice:) On Christmas Day,we go out with friends and wear special Christmas hats,we also watch some performances.People sometimes play fireworks too.LOL! I just like the beautiful ones.We go out for dinner and sing songs together or join some costume party^_^ Thanks for the discussion and Merry Christmas in advance!
@bing_r77 (237)
• Philippines
6 Dec 07
as a Filipino, it is already part of our culture to celebrate christmas. nine (9) days before this event as preparation, we have the "simbang gabi". "Simbang Gabi" is a mass offered every dawn nine days before christmas. many people would wake up so early at dawn just to go to church to have the "simbang gabi" and they really strive hard to be present in every mass.
yes, during christmas eve, we have the "noche buena" where our family gather together in the table and happily share the food we prepared. and after the noche buena, we do the exchanging and giving of gifts among the family.
Then on every December 25th, our family together with our relatives gather to have a family reunion and celebrate christmas as well.
@monty24 (154)
• India
6 Dec 07
Yes friend I celebrate Christmas.We used to give gift to our relatives,praying to the church wearing a new dresses,getting close to our family..It is nice to hear the way you celebrate Christmas..Merry Christmas in advance..to you and your family.
