Christmas traditions:)

Since i can't remember when, Christmas is always celebrated here in the province. If i remember it right, even before we had our own place here, we always visit our grandparents from both sides every Christmas.

When we already transferred here in Mindoro and had our own place, our Christmas starts early. Usually after my birthday, Christmas decors and the Christmas tree will be set up. We always do our best to attend the midnight mass. My brother is able to complete simbang gabi for nine years already. I don't think I've completed it for nine straight years but I was able to complete it this year. hooray for that!:) 

When I was already in high school and up to now, I always go home during the holidays. 

Christmas party of hospital employees usually happen on the 23rd or 22nd of December where there will be games and more gift giving. 

Christmas eve is always celebrated by first watching the panuluyan presentation at church. I was once a part of the presentation when I was in high school. After panuluyan is the evening mass. Then noche buena at our grand parents' place. 

Christmas morning will be opening of Christmas gifts and picture taking after the morning mass. Then we'd go to our other grand parents and celebrate Christmas day with our cousins and aunts and uncles in our mom's side. There'd be games and prizes. 

Then the next celebration will be on my Lola Lina's birthday on the 29th which is also the Christmas party of shell station and the beach resort. My cousins from Manila will be going here in Mindoro then there will be more games and prizes for the employees and for us, pamangkins :)

There is an evening mass for new year. Media Noche is celebrated always at home where our grandparents from our father's side come to welcome the new year with us. Plus we also attend the new year's day mass. 

However, after the death of our tito joseph (2003), lolo poncing (2004), lola lina (2006) lola estel (2006), tito juan (2008), tita lita (2009), tita elsie (2009). Things have slowly changed; some of our previous traditions like the simbang gabi, the hospital christmas parties, the christmas decors and the pictorials are retained while others were replaced by new traditions. Sometimes we eat noche buena still at Lola Lina's home with Lolo though most of the time we eat at home. The Christmas day party was replaced by other agenda like going to our parents' friends house or sometimes just at home as long as we are together. Our cousins sometimes no longer go home since Lola is no longer with us to celebrate her birthday with us. Shell and Cruzsmart still hold their christmas parties and we are still welcome to party with them. 

Lola Lina's birthday is already celebrated at the cemetery. Media Noche is still at home with lolo with tito peter and tita dona. and more picture taking. 

This year, our parents went to Manila because papa has to attend the reunion at UST since his UST med batch are silver jubilarians this year. Because of that, we attended all the midnight masses together. When we arrived here, we celebrated the Roxas DIstrict Hospital where papa is the chief director and me and my brother facilitated the adult games plus mama was one of the judges for the group presentations.

At Christmas eve, we watched panulluyan, heard mass where we were also part of the mass. Our family was chosen to put baby Jesus on the belen. The baby Jesus was a size of a real baby that some people thought my mom had a baby or that it was actually my baby. asa. haha. Noche buena was eating sweets for we were too lazy to prepare. and we are still very full from all the eating. We opened gifts for each other and had picture taking. I love our house!:)

Christmas day started with the morning mass. Then we ate lunch with our parents' friends on bayangan. our hacienda. joke. haha. our real life farmville. asus. We had games for the children there. The look on the kids' faces when they were given gifts is really irreplaceable:)

After lunch and some games, we went to the beach to celebrate the remaining of the day with our tito and still with our parents' friends. 

There was drinking, singing and eating. I scored 99 on my 2 songs and since my tito was quite drunk, I asked him for a prize and he gave me P500:))

We slept early. We woke up early to exercise and it was a nice bonding activity for our family. On the 29th will be my lola's birthday again. I wonder what will happen. Then there will be media noche and new year:) I'm excited :D and I'm happy to welcome the next year :)

2009 has been such a year and ill post a year end blog soon :)

For now, I hope that everyone had their own merry christmas:) 

 

Things have really changed. I miss our old traditions, i miss our relatives who are now with Him but I'm still happy. No matter how we celebrate Christmas for the upcoming years, the most important thing is that my family is complete and together in welcoming Jesus once again. That will always be my Christmas wish:) 

PS. I never think of myself as someone too old to receive gifts. I look young naman e. haha. Plus our family is really used to giving gifts to one another and I'm happy with the gifts I received for this year :P more clothes, more vanity stuff, more cash plus two books! yay:) but I guess, the best gift that I have received that Christmas eve aside from the fact that my family is still complete, is the gift of acceptance:) He gave it to me. and I feel so much loved. I know I'll be facing 2010 with a happy heart for He will help me, as always:)