Pasko na naman!

I still feel the predawn chill of my first Simbang Gabi in Tondo, Manila, slipping out of bed at 4 a.m.

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My Nanay Curing would tug me along to the dimly lit church, where the air hummed with murmured prayers and the scent of freshly baked bibingka and puto bumbong wafting from vendors outside.We seldom complete the nine masses from Dec. 16 to 24 because we would be walking to Divisoria instead of the church. The holidays are busy times in the market with families buying ingredients for their Christmas and New Year feasts.

Christmas in the Philippines is not just a fleeting holiday but also a soul-stirring odyssey that begins in September and lingers into January, the world's longest season of light. It's unique because it weaves faith, resilience, and an unshakeable love for family into every twinkling parol and shared laugh, turning ordinary homes into sanctuaries of profound joy. It does not matter if you are poor or rich, we all celebrate this special holiday. Despite not having enough money for extravagant celebrations, I have always cherished the time our family spent together cuddled together or around our table with simple food.