Imagine this: you’re innocently shopping in the department store, probably looking for a formal top or blazer for your next big presentation. Suddenly, the store starts playing music for their customers and you hear Mariah Carey’s classic All I Want for Christmas Is You blasting through the speakers. You furrow your brows and blink, confused. Isn’t it November? Didn’t Halloween just end, and isn’t Thanksgiving coming up first? You grab your phone to check the date to see if you’re correct or going insane. And there you see it. It is November! But why are they starting to celebrate Christmas so early?
This situation isn’t too out of the ordinary since there are many stores that are eager to toss out their Halloween decorations for Christmas ones the moment November hits. However, imagine people doing this as early as September! This is the reality in my home country, the Philippines, and for many Filipinos around the world. Here are some reasons why we do this and what we can learn from this tradition during these difficult times when celebration seems hard.
CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER?
In the Philippines, the Holiday season begins in September and ends on January 6, giving us about 4 months and a week to celebrate Christmas in its entirety. We typically use the beginning of the ‘-ber’ months (aka months that end with -ber, like October or November) as our sign to start celebrating. We also see this as our sign of the change of the seasons from hot to cold (well, colder). This is because seasons in the country aren’t so clear in comparison to seasons in America. Because of this, the change of seasons, as well as the traditions surrounding it like Halloween, isn’t as significant to Filipino culture.
What is significant to Filipino culture is the religious ties the Holiday season has. As a predominantly Catholic country, Filipinos start celebrating early in conjunction with their religious practice. For example, our Christmas countdowns can be compared to the Christian practice of Advent, and our overly eager desire to start celebrating can be seen as us preparing for the birth of Christ. Everywhere we go, there is a gentle reminder to keep the ‘spirit of Christmas always in our hearts’ (lyrics lifted from Jose Mari-Chan’s Christmas in Our Hearts aka the Filipino equivalent of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You, which my mother has played multiple times now on our Alexa). This brings about many fond memories I have of Filipino traditions that I keep with the people I love. Words cannot describe the kind of joy and laughter I get when talking to my friends about our experiences of trying to wake up at 5 AM to attend dawn mass or Simbang Gabi and failing to stay awake during the service.
However, what I believe to be the heart of celebrating Christmas in September is Filipinos’ excitement for the celebration that comes with the season. Christmas and the Holidays mean being with family and having a grand party where everyone — from your grandparents to your cousins to your neighbors across the street — is invited. It’s a time of sharing what you have, physically or not, with loved ones after a long year. All of us are looking forward to this and that’s why we start celebrating so early.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A REASON TO LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETHING OR CELEBRATE
‘But Nyle,’ you may be thinking, ‘I’m not Filipino and it’s already November! There isn’t any opportunity for me to celebrate the Holidays like that anymore!’ You may be right, but what people should take away from this is the importance of celebrating and having something to look forward to in the future. To say that 2020 has hit hard is an understatement to say the least, and many have begun to move through the year with a cynical approach. I myself have been tempted to do so, especially this semester when there have been times where I felt like I was crawling just to get through. However, my friends in the Philippines have reminded me to constantly find something to look forward to, whether it be the weekend or a new TV show to start. It’s always important to have something to work towards in order to make the journey easier. Now we’re planning to have our own virtual Christmas party at the end of the semester — and you know what? I’m definitely looking forward to that!
When life seems difficult, we need to find any and all opportunities to celebrate, especially more now than ever. Celebration doesn’t mean we’re ignoring all the bad that is happening in the world and choosing not to see it. Rather, celebration helps sustain our hope for the future. And it fuels our desire to work towards it as well.