One
of my sons introduced me to his friend, a Filippina, and she and I occasionally
visit through Messenger. Here’s a photo of her holding her newborn niece.
I was initially confused because clearly, she’s standing in front of a
Christmas tree. I thought it must be some other baby, one born at Christmastime
in some other year. “No, this is the baby,” she said.
She
went on to explain that yes, their Christmas tree is up, everyone's Christmas trees are up, and the streets
have been decorated since September. I asked her if they wouldn’t get tired of
it before Christmas. She said no – that even the adults are very excited.
This
conversation just lifted my spirits. What if we celebrated Christmas so
that the decorations, the lights, and the church services gave us joy and set
the tone for another year?
Our
friend is a busy single mother with three children of her own. She operates a fruit
stand near the home that she shares with others of her extended family. We have enjoyed becoming acquainted and hearing about
daily life in the Philippines. KW
4 comments:
How fun to learn about another country on such a personal level! (And I probably have my Christmas decorations up just about as long, but I do it on the other end!)
I don't know if it's true, but we surmise that now is when the Philippines needs the Christmas cheer. After Christmas, the stormy season is over.
She said they know about Halloween but apparently only the rich indulge in it. But of course, they look forward to "All Saints Day" celebrations on Nov. 1-2.
Which part don't you know to be true? Through conversations about Christmas decorating at work, it was confirmed from a Filipina co-worker that the Christmas decorating and cheer is prolonged in the Philippines.
I thought it was surely too early to have a Christmas tree up, so I thought the picture must have been taken at Christmastime some other year. But our friend explained that they already have their tree up.
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