Why we celebrate the longest Christmas

We Filipinos claim that we have the longest Christmas in the world, and no other country or nationality has refuted this. There are many Christmas villages in some countries that are open the whole year, but they don’t celebrate Christmas every day. The most famous Christmas villages would be the one in Lapland in Finland, Ottawa in Canada, and Pampanga in the Philippines. The Christmas stores in these villages are open most of the time, but the excessive shopping, bright Christmas lights, and binge eating that Filipinos do to celebrate Christmas is a rarity.

The joke is that Filipinos Christmas season starts as soon as the “ber” months begin, which means September, and Jo Mari Chan and his Christmas songs pop up in the radio, TV, and social media. This is an exaggeration, as the earliest that these songs are played are really in October, when some stores in the shopping malls start playing Christmas songs. In fact, the Christmas songs of Mariah Carey and Wham’s “Last Christmas”, we only heard in November. In Cebu particularly, Christmas season ends after the Sinulog celebrations, which is on the third week of January. There is, however, a Catholic religious event, the “Candelaria” that is in the first week of February, that some people claim is the final end of the Christmas season. Realistically, Filipino Christmas starts in Mid-October and ends in mid-January, a three-month period. For many reasons, some Filipinos need/want Christmas season and celebrations to be longer.

The factors that determine Christmas season in the Philippines are the Catholic/Christian religion, Filipino culture/family orientation, the state of the economy, OFWs and their remittances, and politics. In the Christian/Catholic religion, the Advent season which leads to Christmas starts from six to four weeks before December 24. It starts mid-November and ends on Christmas Day. Filipinos, who are 90% Christian/Catholics, almost always stretch this to begin in early November and end in January 31, when they will remove the Nativity tableaus in their homes.

A major factor in the Filipino family Christmas celebration is the family-oriented culture. To Filipinos, Christmas should always be with family. No matter where they are, they will try to be home with families for Christmas. With the internet and social media, being with the family starts earlier with the gift shopping and eating. The OFWs also plan to be where their families are days/weeks before Christmas with gifts, even if they had already sent money to the family members for more gifts and food for the celebrations. Most of them like to spend Christmas in the Philippines as it is really more festive, but some who have families in other parts of the world recreate Philippine Christmas in their new homes.

The state of the Philippine economy and politics also affects the length of Filipino Christmases. During the Marcos martial law years when the economy plunged into recession and other low-GDP growth years, Christmas celebrations were shorter and subdued. In the years after the People Power revolution in the late 1980’s with the economy experiencing high growth rates in the 7%, and more economic freedom, Christmases were festive and long. The political and social liberties that came with democracy and an accountable government, added to the longer and merrier Christmases. These Christmas cycle celebrations were actually replicated in the Duterte presidency with strongman policies and COVID-19 pandemic devastating the economy.

Two years into the BBM administration, the political/social liberties are better and the economy is recovering, so the long Christmas season for Filipinos are relived and revived. Poverty incidence and unemployment are minimally improving, but politicking by the family dynasties are increasing. Filipinos will celebrate Christmas as best they can, and as long as they can, but it would really be a long and joyous Christmas if our political leaders have the welfare of the people in their hearts.