The longest Christmas Season unfolds only in the Philippines. Long before the traditional midnight mass (simbang gabi / simbang banggi) unfolds, beginning on the 16th of December, christmassy songs are already on the air.
Because it is only in the Philippines that the longest Christmas Season is observed up until the day of the Three Kings in January.
But wait, once the “ember months” start, the season is already here, up and about.
While we have presumed that the Catholic mass service from the 16th to the 23rd was referred to as midnight mass or evening mass, it is the mass being officiated between four o’clock AM and five AM, based on personal experience.
In some parts of the world, Pinoy Catholics attend evening mass for the same purpose which celebrations are done in the afternoon or evening beginning the 16th, too.
While practice calls for merriment, it is also a season for sharing.
There is no other way to celebrate fully the true spirit that comes with the season but by sharing.
Let generosity and compassion rule the land our hearts, always.
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