The Philippines is a culture where East and West collide.

Filipinos have a distinct

Asian heritage as well as a strong Western tradition. Chinese traders, Spanish
conquistadors, and American rulers all had an influence on current Filipino
society.

1. Fiestas in honour of a town's patron saint are very prevalent

 A festival or commonly known as a “Fiesta” is part of the Filipino
culture. Each city or province has a local fiesta. Being a very religious
centered country that has More than 80% of the population of the
Philippines is Roman Catholic. A fiesta is commonly about the
celebration of a city or province’s patron saint or of harvest. 
 They are always colorful and unique. Like most Asian countries; the Philippines is rich in
culture and tradition.
 The highlight includes a variety of events such as games, tournaments, a procession, and
a parade. Preparing for a fiesta might take weeks or even months, and strangely, both
the rich and the poor put forth the same amount of effort; during a fiesta, everyone is
treated equally.
 Festivals are one of the reasons why local tourism is expanding; visitors who have
attended these festivals keep returning for more. Millions of people go to popular
festivals, which have become a major source of revenue in some places.

HISTORY:
 The festival has its roots in the early Filipinos' thanksgiving tradition at the foot of Mt.
Banahaw as a method of expressing gratitude for a plentiful crop. In the 1600s, when
the Spaniards built their church, they began to bless the crops in the name of San Isidro
(Saint Isidore), the patron saint of farmers.
 This Catholic practice transformed the pagan ritual into a religious tradition still strongly
celebrated every year. When the produce became so bountiful it couldn’t fit inside the
church, the people used their front steps at home instead to display the harvest for the
parish priest’s blessing. Eventually, the townsfolk began to use their house façades as
canvases to showcase their creativity and abundance.
 2. Filipinos have the longest Christmas celebrations—ever
 The majority of Filipinos are Christians, with Catholics accounting for over 80% of the
population. It is the only Asian country with such a large Christian population. As a
result, Christmas is the Philippines' most important holiday. In the Philippines,
December is one of the 'cooler' months of the year.

 The History of Christmas in the Philippines explores the exotic fiesta of the Christmas
celebration in Philippines down the ages. The Christmas Philippines History is marked by
legends, customs, symbols, and merry-making. Christianity was introduced in Philippines
during the 1500s by the Spanish colonizers.

HISTORY:

II. Early Myths

1324

Legend has it that the first Christmas mass ever held in Philippine soil was
celebrated by a Franciscan friar named Odoric of Pordenone in Bolinao,
Pangasinan in 1324, 197 years before Magellan arrived in the country

People also believe that Odoric of Pordenone brought the first Christmas
tree in the country

These claims, however, have been disputed by the National Historical

Institute. William Henry Scott, a historian of Pre-Hispanic Philippines,
concluded after studying Odoric’s writings that the friar likely never set
foot on Philippine soil. It is also impossible that he brought the Christmas
tree to the country, since Christmas trees became popular only in the 19th
century

1521

On March 15, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan arrived in Cebu. He is the first

to convert the country to Catholicism. The country became a primarily
Catholic country under Spanish administration.

1594 

During the reign of Spanish conquest Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Nativity celebration in our
archipelago took place in December 1565.
 1594

In 1594, Manila built the world's first Chinatown. Filipino traditions,

particularly how we celebrate Christmas, have been heavily impacted
by Chinese culture. The Chinese âng-pau/hóngbo tradition, for
example, inspired the practice of gifting ang pao to children as an
aguinaldo. On significant events like as weddings and holidays, the red
envelope represents a monetary gift. The color red is associated with
good fortune and is thought to fend off evil spirits.

Chinese cuisine has also had a big influence on the food we offer at Noche Buena and other celebrations
throughout the year. Lumpia, pancit, and siomai are other examples.

1600s

Some Filipino Christmas foods that are still popular today are largely
influenced by Spanish culture. The early colonizers, for example, brought
queso de bola with them. It's a favorite of theirs because it travels and
matures well; the cheese doesn't deteriorate and only hardens over time,
and the red paraffin coating protects it on the sea voyage.

1700s

According to historical records, the first Simbang Gabi in the country occurred in the 1700s on a
December morning. A Spanish friar integrated religious songs in the traditional rite of thankfulness that
the farmers observed before working in the field as a practical manner of propagating Catholicism
among the natives. The early mass ended with a simple breakfast offered by the friar. Over the years,
Filipinos added local twists to the tradition like panunuluyan and eating Christmas delicacies like puto
bumbong and bibingka.

1700s

Tied to the history of the Simbang Gabi is the origins of Noche Buena, which is
Spanish for “night of goodness”. Spanish friars required the churchgoers to fast
until Christmas morning, but since the natives are usually hungry after the
midnight mass, they developed the habit of eating before the sun rises.
 1700s

Our Spanish colonizers also started the tradition of putting up a Belen

during the Christmas season. Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is
known in Spanish as Belen. The earliest Belens in the archipelago were
big and solely displayed in the church, but smaller versions made of
various materials became available for purchase and exhibition in
private homes throughout time.

1898

The American colonization brought more western Christmas traditions to the country, like displaying
Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, and roasting chestnuts.

1900s

The story of Santa Claus and his reindeer was also brought to the archipelago by Americans in the 1900s.
Parents still take their children to see a man dressed as Santa in public places like malls or at parties.

1900

Because electricity was absent in many rural regions at the time, the contemporary parol evolved from
the paper star lantern that barrio residents used to light their paths on their trip to Simbang Gabi.
Francisco Estanislao, a Pampanga artisan, is credited with starting the tradition of making lanterns out of
bamboo strips coated with Japanese paper.