Christmas

It’s the 24th of December, the busiest day for Christian families in the Philippines. Mom and Via are already working their prowess in the kitchen for our shared dinner later. Vince and Manong are also in Butuan to spend the holidays with us this year. I am on the veranda enjoying the evening breeze after a late afternoon nap while Piolo is inside Mom’s room, focusing on a mobile game.

In my grade school days, I used to count the days before the 25th, committed to Simbang Gabi and looked forward to exchanging gifts. Now, I care less about them. Perhaps adulthood took away my innocence. I am easily irritable when some people carol and jumble words because we used to perform ready back in our time. But the truth is, I only want the tradition to be valued for what it is worth and keep it alive throughout.

I do not believe that Jesus was born on the 25th of December. But I also do not need the facts or analogies from critics. Christmas, for my family and those celebrating, is a long-maintained tradition to be home and bond with relatives. And like most, we like to keep it.

Like how scent, music, and photos bring back a memory of a time or a place, Christmas carries warmth to the hearts of the celebrating family and illuminating gratitude for surviving another year together.

It is also the season of remembering the lost. It has been the ninth Christmas without Dad and the 15th without Manoy, our second eldest brother. I remember the Christmas of the year they died to be depressing. No amount of lavish food could make up for the absence of the people who used to complete the dining arrangement. The drinks could not conceal the forced smiles. But we sat and ate together, still. We celebrated, nonetheless.

It is 2024 now. My siblings and I pursue different careers but still do the same Christmas. Last Friday, after work, I met with Via and Vince at Gaisano to buy ingredients for a simple feast. The shopping and queuing took us two hours. This morning, I headed to Langihan to pick up a few items we missed the other day and a dedication cake for Via for passing the nursing licensure exam. That was another two hours. Bracing the traffic and the masses was draining, but it was part of the process. And I enjoyed it, another manifestation of the tradition passed and well received.

Christmas has never been the same every year in some aspects. But it is as valuable and warming as ever.