We had such a wonderful Christmas here in the Oikos Community!!! It is always so fun for me to experience the Christmas traditions of other cultures. Here in the Philippines, daily life is rooted in traditions and customs. For instance, we just celebrated the birthday of Nina, the daughter of a co-worker here in Oikos, Joey. It was her second birthday. Joey and his wife GingGing wanted to invite all they knew to the party to celebrate the joyous occasion, but being that their home is small, they knew they were limited to who they could invite. In such cases, it is a Filipino custom to invite as many as you can, and then send large plates of food to those who you couldn't. So, after we all ate, GingGing made big plates of food and sent them with us to deliver to other friends and family. It is very thoughtful and sweet!!
Such is life here. It seems that these people are so devoted to the life their ancestors have lived, and although the physical appearance of the land may change, and there may be changes in technology and medicine, there are certain customs and traditions that remain steadfast here. People ask me all the time when we are in the midst of one of the customs, do you do this in your place? And, almost always my answer is we used to do it, but not anymore. Has America become so much of a melting pot that our traditions have melted away? Things like Christmas caroling, novenas said together as a church community, fiestas where the entire neighborhood is involved and celebrates, processions in the community and many more.
Well, I have completely gotten off topic!! The 23rd and 24th of December were busy with caroling, baking, cooking and preparing. Actually, we were not only preparing for Christmas, but also for a typhoon that was supposed to land near us!! But I was busy in the kitchen with Sister Aileen and some of the mothers preparing food for Christmas. I even made a bread that is a tradition in my family, a recipe from my father's grandmother, Irene Briem...cinnamon pull apart buns. It was really nice to have a little taste of home!!
On Christmas Eve, we went to mass at 5pm. After mass the kids played and we rested...24 hours of baking and cooking is tiring!! We had dinner around 10pm... fried chicken, fish, cassava cake (made of a root crop), ubi jam, another root crop, the cinnamon bread, and lechon...a roasted pig!! It was a feast, and all of the Oikos Angels and the Sisters were all together. Around midnight, the bells began ringing all around us and we sang "Joy to the World", cheering and hugging, celebrating the first moments of Christmas. After the singing, we went into the chapel and Sister Minerva led us in a Christmas prayer service followed by the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. After a few more songs, we each got the chance to kneel in front of the manger scene, the belen, and say a prayer to the new born babe.
It was around 1am when we left the chapel and gifts were given. There is a missionary who comes every year on the Medical Mission from the Diocese of Joliet in Chicago, Il. Her name is Diane, and her medical office sends each child, mother and Sister in Oikos a gift for Christmas. What a fun and joyful time that was...to see the smiles and the wonder on the kids faces as they received their gifts...it was a treasure to be there!!
After the gift giving, we cleaned up and went to bed...around 2:30am...and my alarm went off at 5am!! Rising from bed, I helped to prepare food for the people in the barrio where we live for after the 8am mass...fried chicken, spaghetti and hotdogs!! With the help of Sister Aileen, I had made sugar cookies with m&ms to give the kids on Christmas morning...a first time for most of them to have a homemade cookie!!! And I made pancakes with mango syrup for our breakfast.
The mass was joyful and merry!! And giving the food afterwards was fun and fulfilling!! And eating our breakfast after that was yummy!!! Also on Christmas, we went to the Bishop's residence and to the rectory of the spiritual director of the Oikos Sisters, Msgr. Lope, to sing carols (and to eat again!!)
And I took a few moments to open a Christmas gift I had received from my mother...some shirts and tictacs, some holiday jelly beans and lip balm. It was just nice even to open the card and see her handwriting. Isn't that sort of funny...but just like the cinnamon rolls, it is a remembrance of home and of comfort and love. A nice gift on Christmas!
I hope your Christmas was special and joyful!! And I pray that the love and the joy of the Christ Child enters your hearts and guides you all in the coming year. May the peace of Christmas spread to our leaders, our world and unite us as one, under God's mercy and protection. xxoo
