Christmas In Our Hearts:
Celebrating Christmas the Pinoy Way

Colder breeze, starrier nights, and brighter lights! Christmas has definitely arrived in the Philippines. As festive people, we, Filipinos, have been known for being the first to experience giving & celebrating Christmas the grandest and longest and here are the signs to show it.

10. From “-Ber” months to BRRR! months

Being a tropical country, the Philippines only gets to experience two seasons: wet and dry. However, once the -ber months come, meaning September to December, there’s definitely something different about the breeze of Christmas nights. More people wear sweaters, use longer socks, and there’s just no taking the “brrr” out of “-ber” months!

9. Brighter lights, funner nights

(Photo from philippineslifestyle.com)

As early as October, Filipino households and establishments start setting up Christmas ornaments and decorations to welcome the Christmas fever! This is especially true for people living in famous festival tourist spots where there are lots of parols, fireworks, and Christmas sights!

8. Christmas jingles in the air

(Photo from medium.com)


It’s always been a tradition to start playing Jose Mari Chan and other Christmas jingles the moment September 1 comes. It can be on your neighbor’s karaoke box, in your local mall, or in the public transportation’s radio station. There’s really just no stopping the jingle bells for the Filipino people!

7. Christmas gimmicks on TV

(Photo from ABS-CBN Entertainment website)


Once Christmas is near, TV stations like ABS-CBN start with their own Christmas station IDs where every year, there’s just a really good jingle that will make you dance and sing along. Not only that, but even TV shows start their own countdowns with virtual Christmas icons that usually start from 100 Days Before Christmas until the very eve of Christmas Day. One iconic jingle of ABS-CBN would be “Star Ng Pasko” that evolved from an Christmas station ID to a jingle that’s actually sung by carollers is one way to see the amazing influence of media on our Christmas spirits. Knowing this, we definitely can’t wait any longer for this year’s Christmas station ID!

6. Shopping sprees everywhere

Christmas season also means shopping season! Once the -ber months come, there’s no stopping malls in releasing sales left and right and we, Filipinos, are definitely people to not miss an opportunity for discounts.

5. Bibingka and Christmas treat vendors

(Photo from casaveneracion.com)

What better way to end Simbang Gabi with puto bumbong and bibingka, right?

4. Our Ninongs and Ninangs are ghosting us!?

(Photo from pinterest.com)

Despite the famous gift of Christmas giving, It’s always an inside joke for Filipinos that every Christmas season, our godfathers and godmothers suddenly disappear because they are known to have a role in giving Christmas presents and bonuses to their godchildren. Still in contact with yours?

3. Carolers’ serenading non-stop

May it be a solemn tune or children screaming their lungs out, there’s no stopping carolers this Christmas season! All your coins might run out and at some point, you can get tired from saying “Tawad po” to carolers that will aggressively hit on your doorbell. May the best carolers win, I guess?

2. Traffic jams to worsen

(Photo from philstar.com)

What’s Christmas without Christmas lights? Lights from cars coming from traffic of course! Manila is Manila because of its lifetime-long traffic, and it doesn’t get better because more people are out shopping and travelling. Be very cautious to bring a car around Divisoria and Quiapo because as the Christmas Shopper’s famous spots and tiangge, getting around in this season might not be as easy as it seems.

1. The World Bazaar Festival is knocking at your doors!

What better way to spend the festive season than by visiting Christmas Bazaars where you can score amazing deals for gifts and items without having to go from mall to mall? In bazaars like this, all you need is all conveniently in one place. You’ll need to have lots of cardio and energy because it’s literally shop ‘til you drop marathon! Don’t know which bazaar to go to? No need to worry because there’s one happening near you!

Join us, this coming December 14-23, 2020 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), and shop your heart away while experience giving at the World Bazaar Festival, a Christmas Bazaar, organized by Worldbex Services International, in partnership with ABS-CBN for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation. See you there!