Christmas Season in PH
THE long and joyous Christmas Season in impoverished Philippines, supposedly the only Christian country in this part of the world, starts on Thursday, September 1.
Actually, the “Countdown to December 25” begins next month, the first of the so-called four “BER” months of the year (September, October, November and December).
Unlike Christmas in many Western nations across the globe, the Filipino holiday season is centered on the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago and not on Santa Claus.
Note that one of the symbols of the Filipino Christmas spirit is the star-shaped lantern or “parol” in Pilipino. Usually, multi-colored lanterns are displayed hanging outside the house.
In some parts of the country, including vote-rich Pangasinan, barangay officials and employees line the streets with lighted lanterns and Christmas lights, starting September 1.
But some nations don’t mark Christmas. They include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, North Korea, Libya, Somalia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
And next month, the country’s overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including those in the oil-rich Saudi Arabia, begin sending their Christmas gifts to their loved ones in the Philippines.
This is to enable their gifts, like cellular phones, laptops, and pieces of jewelry, to reach the country before Christmas Day, which is a regular non-working holiday in the country.
“Dahil sa pagdagsa ng Christmas items, inaasahan ang paglaki ng revenue collection ng Bureau of Customs (BOC) sa natitirang apat na buwan ng taon,” said a customs broker.
Indeed, the start of the “BER” months is a much-awaited event in the Philippines.
