It was the first time that Him Indoors went to the Philippines. Everything was new for him. The heat, the traffic, all the families and relatives and friends who were all excited to have met him at last, some customs and traditions. Especially at this time of the year – it was Christmas time! But where was the snow, the cold, the turkey, minced pies, Christmas pudding? Surely, it didn’t feel like Christmas to him, as he was swimming in the sea, as he was stuck in the traffic, as he was unbearably hot, as he was having a barbeque at a beach on Christmas Day. Children were singing Christmas carols with their homemade instruments of bamboos, smashed up tin cans held by wires. People were hearing mass at dawn. And for food, they were all Filipino food like adobo, lumpia, kesong bilog, cured ham, leche flan, suman, bibingka, puto bumbong. And on Christmas Eve, people heard mass on midnight and had their “Noche Buena” – the evening meal and that was when they exchanged gifts.
No snow, not feel right
Christmas in the Philippines
Barbeque on beach
People having fun all day
Lots of people everywhere
For: Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille and Tale Weaver 44: Tradition!
But Christmas all the same … Merry Christmas LadyLee!
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Merry Christmas to you and your family, Georgia! 🙂
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Thanks you ever so much!
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Nothing beats the Filipino way of spending Christmas 🙂
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Maligayang Pasko, Joana 🙂
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Maligayang pasko rin at manigong bagong taon 🙂
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Nice one. Sounds like Christmas over here, except for the food. 🙂
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cheers, Celestine 🙂
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What a joyful haibun Lady Lee. I remember several years ago (after the 9/11 attacks) we went to the Canarian Islands around Christmas and it was very strange to celebrate Christmas on the beach with 34 degrees Celsius. I was awesome, but it felt strange. In the Netherlands its mostly cold around this time of the year …. but this year December is very warm today it was 16 degrees Celsius … to hot for our Dutch winter. We will not have a White Christmas I think … well it doesn’t really matter … Christmas is everywhere on earth always great.
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thanks, Chev 🙂 yes, it’s warm for December in Germany, too. Have a lovely Christmas!
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Thank you Lady Lee
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Wonderful photos and story.
I am used to cold and snow at Christmas — though this year the weather has been unseasonably warm and rainy of late — but would not be adverse to a bbq on the beach-warm Christmas time!
Wishing you and your family all the best of this festive season. Thanks so much for your participation in Tale Weavers!
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thanks and I’m wishing you back, have a lovely festive season for you and your family 🙂
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Sounds like the way I’d like to celebrate!
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cheers, Carol 🙂 have a lovely Christmas!
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Sounds like a lot of fun, Merry Christmas !
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Merry Christmas, Cressida 🙂
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