Viva Christmas!

    Everywhere in the world, we celebrate Christmas, it may be with family, friends, colleagues, and maybe even alone. In the heritage city of Vigan, citizens, better known as Bigueños, take Christmas or "paskwa" quite seriously. Bigueños are very festive and combining that with Christianity, they celebrate Christmas like no other. In the Philippines, you can often sense the spirit of the holiday as early as September, which the locals call "-ber months." So it is no surprise that the blessed event is a big deal throughout every household in the city.
    Christmas is a religious occasion honoring the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. Bigueños and the entirety of Catholic Filipinos have something called "Simbang Gabi" or "Misa de Gallo". People attend mass as early as 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM every day from December 9 to 24. Aside from being religious, Bigueños love music. They blast local and foreign Christmas songs on their speakers, and of course, caroling. When protocols weren't as strict, you can hear and encounter carolers throughout the day, whether day or night, you will see children, teens, and bands caroling from house to house. The holiday is a chance for families to decorate their homes with bright lights and colors. The city has various contests which involve decorations; this includes parol making, Christmas tree decorating competitions between barangays, street painting, and many more. Filipinos have a Christmas feast at midnight or Christmas eve called "Noche Buena." So if you go to supermarkets, groceries, department stores, or anywhere on the days before Christmas, you will notice a lot of citizens buying ingredients for their meals for Noche Buena.
Christmas brings Bigueños together, the smell of bibingka, the warm feeling, the dark sky at simbang gabi, and most of all, the smiles of the people. It indeed is a splendid experience in the Heritage city of Vigan. As a proud Bigueño, it is an honor to spend Christmas in this wonderful city with my family, as they say in Vigan, Viva! Long live the Bigueños.





References:
A Mighty Life: "Christmas Traditions Filipinos in America Miss". Uploaded on December 6, 2017. Retrieved on January 19, 2020. 
Vigan City: "It's Christmas Season in Vigan City". Retrieved on January 19, 2020. 


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