The Ber Month!
By Toni
@toniganzon (72281)
Philippines
August 24, 2011 3:47am CST
It seems like only yesterday when i moved in to our new house. I was too excited to buy new furniture, decorate the house, buy some new linens, curtains, etc! I was too excited to put up our very own Christmas tree in our very own house! It was such a good feeling.
And here we are now, August is almost at its end. Next week, it will already be the first day of September. And -ber months in the Philippines is the start of the Christmas season. Yes, you may be surprised that in our country we start celebrating Christmas this early. I don't know why too. But at the first day of September we can already hear Christmas songs over the radio early in the morning!
Time flies so fast! Soon i'll be saying Merry Christmas!
1 person likes this
11 responses
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
24 Aug 11
Are you serious?? We usually start in November.. but like the tail end of November! Are you not really sick of Christmas and the songs and the lights, by the time the 25th of December actually comes round?? I know I would be!! And when do you take everything down and Christmas is over? It’s usually before the 6th of Jan here. It’s apparently bad luck to keep anything Christmassy up longer than the 6th of Jan lol!
That;s actually crazy, I’ve never ever heard of anyone starting to celebrate Christmas so soon! I mean obviously wrapping paper, and presents and decorations are on sale, so people have them by sort of November time.. but I’ve never heard of Christmas songs being played etc!
So do you all celebrate your birthdays for 2 weeks? and start planning for Halloween in May? haha!
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
WE do celebrate the halloween in September too! Kidding!
Christmas is so special to us and the atmosphere it brings. It makes people a bit kinder. That's why if you visit my country you will know how hospitable we are. You can feel our warmth even not on this season. So how much more during that season? I guess we value this too much that we feel like celebrating it the longest among the holidays.
WE even have a Christmas song that has a lyric that says, hope it's Christmas everyday so people can give each other presents everyday! Good thing about our attitude as Filipinos is that, no matter how poor we are, we never fail to give presents on this special day. The price of the present doesn't matter at all. It's the thought that counts. And it's really true in our case.@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
25 Aug 11
That is so lovely. I actually went to school with a girl.. she joined our school when she was 16 to do her GCSE’s and she was from the Philippines. Her name was Marie-Flower Iris Something I can’t remember how to spell lol.. but everyone called her Iris. She was really kind and sweet, but so so confident! All you Filipinos seem to have a lot of personal confidence! It’s so refreshing to see people being so comfortable in their own skin :) and ever since I met her its been a dream of mine to go where you live. The whole Christmas thing makes me want to go more now haha!
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
28 Aug 11
time flies really so fast toni. yesterday was just december when my son had his tonsils removed in st. lukes. and now, august is about to end and september is coming so quickly. i also remember, actually today, is exactly a year ago when we had our first shooting for the program. anyway, christmas is everyday in the house. when my wife has new christmas decorations, she will never put them off the wall unless they are damaged. only the tree is removed after the christmas season. so everyday, you can see the santa claus, the happy new year, and so on decorations.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
7 Sep 11
I don't like to see Christmas decors lying around after the Christmas season. It doesn't excite me anymore and i just don't like it. I keep my tree and the decors to be used the next Christmas season and i just add more or change the motif.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
24 Aug 11
Wow!! You start celebrating Christmas early there. I thought hearing songs in October and seeing lights up, and trees in stores, etc. was early enough. But yes, it is hard to believe that the end of next week is September already. My how time flies when you are having Fun.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
OH yeah, we never notice the time at all when we are enjoying and having fun.
@Rick1950 (1576)
• Lima, Peru
24 Aug 11
Then, you will celebrate Chritsmas untill December? Probably your country is of the fewer doing it. But I think it's right. We celebrate Christmas on December. I remember many years ago we started to celebrate since begining November. It seems that this tradition is going lost. It is a pity.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
Well the Christmas songs will be played over the radio from September.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
Thanks. This is our second year to celebrate Christmas here.
@ronadelle (1547)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
Hahaha. Filipinos are just that excited about Christmas and I enjoy it so much when I go to malls with amazing Christmas decorations hanged up at the high ceilings and Christmas songs played in stores! Plus, greeting friends Happy Ber Months! Happy myLotting!
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
Yes it's really great to feel the Christmas spirit as early as September!
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
Wow you are really looking forward to the Christmas Season. I wish my husband would prepare something great for me this Christmas!
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
It will be BER month already and its already the start of Christmas season in the Philippines. My previous boss is a Canadian and he was really having fun staying here because of that. A year ago, he asked us why are we celebrating the BER month. We informed him that that it is the start of Christmas season and he can't believe it. He find it very amusing for us to celebrate Christmas so early and for a duration of 4-5months.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
That's us! That's very Filipino. Only in the Philippines they say. That's why most of us look young despite poverty and all the problems. WE choose to be happy and enjoy this season and that's one trait of a Filipino!
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
We Filipinos have the longest Christmas seasons because we start early as the BER month is there! :) Time flies really fast. i haven't even had the chance to loose the weight last season, and here is the christmas season again. LOl
@Jelminrie (358)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
My mom usually set up her christmas decor at the very first day of September, its a happy season! and when the 25th Comes there is the big celebration very very big, shopping starts at september, I celebrate my birthday in the 19th day of december and i enjoyed it much becuae evryone is excited and happy, and do have a lot of money for shopping... when i was little i love decorating our house with mom most specially the christmas socks i also caught her before putting candies and chocolates inside.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
I wait until All Soul's Day is finished before setting up everything. Last year i painted snowflakes on our glass window and from the outside, people can see how beautiful they are! My husband also placed some Christmas lights in our garden and we stayed outside most of the time especially at night and feel the cold wind touch our face. So romantic.
@flowerfest08 (1677)
•
24 Aug 11
hi:)
yes Ber months is the start of Christmas season, hehe malls are beginning to have a Christmas sale...yey! they will start to decorate their homes and also malls with those giant Christmas tree and colorful balls although now it's noticeable that people are putting the decors as late as possible to avoid high electricity costs..lol!But of course for the Filipino's no electricity costs will ever prevent us from celebrating the start of the season...I love Ber months:)
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
That's one good thing about us! We never let our poverty dampen our Christmas spirits.
