In the Philippines, Christmas starts in September and isn’t white.
Instead, the island nation with a strong Christian heritage celebrates the four-month holiday with street vendors selling bibingka (baked coconut rice cakes) and puto bumbong (purple rice cakes), colorful parol (ornaments representing the star of Bethlehem) hanging outside shops and homes, and people crooning Jose Mari Chan’s classic hit “Christmas in Our Hearts.”
For Catholics, who make up nearly 80 percent of the Filipino population, another uniquely Filipino Christmas tradition is the practice of Simbang Gabi, nine days of masses at dawn through Christmas Eve. The novena is held in honor of the Virgin Mary as she anticipates the birth of Jesus and is considered an opportunity for Catholics to ask for divine favors.
Some Protestant churches in the Philippines have adapted the tradition of Simbang Gabi in their Christmas celebrations by focusing on Jesus’ arrival rather than the expectant Mary. For three Methodist groups, Simbang Gabi is observed denomination wide. Other denominations, such as the Philippine Brethren Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines, and the Christian and Missionary Alliance of the Philippines, give local churches autonomy over whether to practice it or not.
During the Philippines’ 300 years under Spanish rule (1565–1898), the Roman Catholic Church practiced Misa de Aguinaldo(Gift Mass), another name for Simbang Gabi, according to parish priest Virgilio B. Hernandez. Beginning on December 16, Catholics gathered as early as 4 a.m. so that farmers could attend the services before working in their fields. Simbang Gabi then culminated with the Panuluyan(lodging place), a dramatization of Joseph and Mary entering the stable, on the morning of December 24.
On Christmas Eve, families would gather for a meal with hamon de bola (spherical honey-cured ham) and quezo de bola (spherical cheese), along with buko (young coconut) salad and seasonal castañas (chestnuts).
Traditionally, Catholic churches in the Philippines have conducted these masses uniformly down to the songs that are sung, according to Hernandez. In recent years, however, the rise in urbanization has led some congregations to meet in the evening instead of at dawn and, out of convenience, hold Mass in malls instead of churches.
From the time Protestantism entered the Philippines in the early 20th century with the arrival of Americans, some denominations such as the United Methodist Church (UMC) have carried on the practice of Simbang Gabi. Unlike Catholic churches, the UMC’s services are less formal and follow the format of a midweek service, said Adonis Abelard Gorospe, pastor of St. John United Methodist Church in Quezon City. Each service ends with the congregation eating a breakfast of pandesal (bread roll) and coffee before starting their workdays.
The nine-day worship service allows more members to participate, Gorospe noted, as some are asked to preach, lead in singing, and prepare food.
“It’s a bonding time for the members,” Gorospe said. “Everyone looks forward to it because they meet with their friends and relatives and they can serve together.”
Another Methodist denomination, Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF), likely started practicing Simbang Gabi in the 1920s, said Roland Gernale Sebastian, pastor of Melchora Aquino IEMELIF Church in Quezon City.
Pastors of the local churches write the homilies based on assigned themes and passages. Guest pastors or lay leaders are also encouraged to preach at this time. A growing number of IEMELIF churches now conduct services in the evening after parishioners leave work for the day.
On the last day of Simbang Gabi, Christmas Eve, churches hold parties with food, presents, and singing. Members give gifts of appreciation to their pastors and pastoral staff.
Courtesy of IRMECThe I Am Redeemer and Master Evangelical Church (IRMEC), an offshoot of IEMELIF, celebrates a shortened version of Simbang Gabi that lasts four to six nights and focuses on evangelism, according to the IRMEC district superintendent of Bulacan, Norberto Gole Cruz.
As with the other churches, IRMEC’s Simbang Gabi services are a time for the congregations to share meals and show appreciation to their pastors. In addition, they hold a raffle and put on Nativity plays. While some attend the services for the festivities, “the majority join because they are looking to be fed spiritually through the messages,” Cruz said. “Preachers make it their aim to prepare messages that would meet the spiritual needs of the congregation.”
Meanwhile, other Protestant churches shy away from observing Simbang Gabi. James Bryner Chu, pastor of Pilgrim Community Church in Quezon City, which belongs to the International Presbyterian Church (IPC), noted that they follow the regulative principle of worship, meaning that corporate worship must be based on specific directions from Scripture. Thus, Simbang Gabi is not considered part of their tradition.
Others avoid the practice because it was intended as a devotion to Mary. Benzon Shih Sy, pastor of the Quezon City Evangelical Church, who said he belongs to “an orthodox and reformed faith,” sees the practice as unscriptural.
Some Protestants push back against the practice, Gorospe said, because they want to avoid association with the folk belief that the Simbang Gabi novena(or nine days of prayer) guarantees the petitioner that their prayers will be answered.
Yet Gorospe noted that other Filipino Christmas traditions, like the hanging of the parol or the display of the belen (manger scene), also have Catholic origins.
Evangelicals can bring new significance to the tradition by focusing on the expectant joy of our incarnate Savior, said Laurence Gatawa, president of the PTS College and Advanced Studies (formerly the Presbyterian Theological Seminary). Gatawa also celebrates Simbang Gabi with the congregation he pastors, the Emmanuel Christian Church in Cavite.
“We want to remind the people that the Christian life is joyful, despite the sorrows and challenges in life,” Gatawa said. “We want to emphasize that we can have joy and a positive outlook in life, full of thanksgiving and worship. We can join all Christians in the celebration.”
The post The Nine Days of Filipino Christmas appeared first on Christianity Today.