Around 3am, fireworks and Advent songs can be heard from the church to wake everyone up for the novena and mass. The novena is a prayer to Jesus through His mother, Mary. Included in the novena are prayers to St. Joseph and St. Joachim and St. Ann, Mary's parents. Although in Waray Waray, the prayers are beautiful...and the best part? The best part is that not only is there so many people there that there is standing room only, in the cathedral in Borongan, which is quite large, there are so many people standing, that they don't all fit in the church and some stand outside!!! If only every Sunday's masses were like that!!!
After the mass, one group in the church sings Christmas carols. One day it is the Youth for Christ group, one day it is the Handmaids of the Lord, one day it is teachers and another it is the seminarians. I know I am totally biased, but Oikos did the best performance of the carols!!! With Sister Clarissa as the musical director and Sister Ethel as the voice coach, they provide a winning team that makes great performances every time!!
December 16th also begins the major time of decorating for Christmas, in homes and in the church. Everywhere you look you see decorations. But not only just decorations...although the stores are filled with Christmas decorations, most people make their Christmas decorations...and Oikos is no exception!! Below are pictures of manger scenes and Christmas trees made by Oikos, all homemade!!
Another thing that begins on December 16th is Christmas caroling. It really is pretty cool to be driving down the street on any given night after the 16th, and the night is alive with Christmas music! Kids make instruments to accompany them as they sing. The tradition is that when some people sing carols for you, you thank them by giving them a few pesos. It is called "panarit". Well, here in Oikos, we go to the homes and businesses of our benefactors and sing songs for them. There are two FULL cars of us in our caroling caravan, with guitars, a drum, chimes and a tambourine. We sing traditional Christmas songs in English and in Waray Waray. This year the money we made from caroling helped with our Christmas Outreach in Palo Uno, San Julian. (more on that later) Caroling is a lot of fun. I wish it would come back in style in the US!!
Although there is no snow here in the Philippines for Christmas, the preparations and the decorations make it just as special! And all of these things point to and lead up to the reason for all of it...the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!
Some pictures:
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| Christmas caroling above in San Julian, below at the Cathedral in Borongan. |
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| Homemade Christmas tree made out of paper!! |
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| The above manger scene, or belen, is made of paper, below it is made out of coconut trunks, leaves, and the people are made out of coconuts!! |
