Pasko sa Amerika part 2
Simbang Gabi 2009
One of my favorite festivities growing up in the Philippines is the Simbang Gabi (Misa de Gallo or Advent Pre-Dawn Mass), a nine-day day novena leading up to the Christmas Eve Mass representing Mary’s wait for the birth of Jesus. I remember being awaken by musical bands, carolers, church bells, fireworks, and bright Christmas lights and parols. After mass, we would stop at food stalls in the churchyard for Christmas treats such as hot ginger tea and a variety of rice and coconut cakes like the puto bungbong and bibingka. But what I miss the most is the fact that this was a family and community event. It was our chance to reconnect with our extended families, friends and the community.
Christmas in the United States on the other hand is more secular and commercially driven. The season is decorated with fairy tale characters that have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. And instead of frequenting the churches to prepare the souls, Americans tend to crowd the shopping malls to acessorize their Christmas trees. And then there was Iowa…The snow was infinitely beautiful. But the below zero temparature, the ice, and clean-up, together is like hell freezing over. My Christmas experiences in Iowa was, simply put, very cold.
Here in Washington, the climate is temperate and the churches encourage diversity. And in Pierce County, Simbang Gabi is shared and held in nine different churches. The celebration kicks off with the Commisioning in St. James Cathedral in Seattle. Then it continues at different venue each night. This year, our church and St. Frances Cabrini again jointly hosted one of the events, this time, in St. John Bosco. Each church processes their own unique parol at the beginning of the mass. The Mass enhanced by traditional Filipino Advent songs by a choir made up of volunteers from participating churches. Finally, each celebration is concluded with a salo-salo, a gathering showcasing favorite Filipino dishes.
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MrNonsense is Jesse. He was born and raised by two solid parents in Tondo, Manila. He came to Iowa when he was 17 and is now raising a family in Washington, where a group of Filipinos adopted them as their own.
Mr. Nonsense can often be seen in the Tacoma-Seattle area carrying a camcorder, accompanied by his two sons and his personal chauffeur, his wife. He uses his Tondo upbringing to nurture his children and to survive in a mental institution, where he currently works. He enjoys basketball, cooking, singing, cartooning, producing short movies, and making his own furniture out of junked wood because he's so cheap. He is a self-proclaimed "Man of the House,"...when his wife is not home.
happy new year to all!!
haha….palakasan ng putok!
Happy New year to your family Jess at sa mga ka-barrio, wishing you all a successful 2010.
year of the tiger daw…kahit bakasyon muna sya…
What a nice story Jess. ~_~
By the way, Happy Holiday ulit sa mga kaibigan ko dito sa barrio siete.
indeed…mga kabarrio!
happy new year jess, at sa lahat ng mga taga barrio siete isama na ang mga lurkers at mga urur hahaha
wishing all of you a prosperous new year, at sna maging madatung tayong lahat sa darating na taon para maraming pang shopping lolz.
namiss ko to!!
dati nagcacarolling kame mga berkz ko sa province after ng simbang gabi.. haha. tapos iniipon namin yung pera para sa outing namin before the end of the year!! woah!!
Naghahanap akong post kung saan pwede mag greet.
Dito na lang.
Happy New Year to all of you in Barrio Siete!