Why Filipinos Should Stop Celebrating Christmas for Four Months—and Celebrate It Every Day Instead
If there's one thing that the Philippines stands out for globally, it's the unrelenting fervor by which Filipinos celebrate Christmas. The so-called "Ber months" – from September to December – spell out a season of holiday ditties, twinkling lights, and a sense of festivity that unfolds into a whole third of the year. This long Christmas celebration is beautiful and deeply rooted in the tradition of the Filipinos, but the alternative worth considering is to spread the feel and spirit of Christmas throughout the year.
The Four-Month Christmas Tradition
As soon as September comes, holiday fever grips the Philippines. Jose Mari Chan's popular carols are now heard over the airwaves. The malls start decorating with their giant Christmas trees, and families begin preparing for the much-awaited celebrations. Long anticipation of Christmas Day brings excitement and cheer but is tiring and, sometimes, overbearing.
While the Philippines proudly proclaims its long Christmas season, the fixation on the ordinary and even event-driven, materialistic aspect of Christmas may miss something much deeper—it is, after all a spirit embodied every day of the calendar year. Christmas Isn't Just a Season—It's a Way of Life
At its core, Christmas embodies values which everybody shares: love, kindness, generosity, and community festivity. Such values do not deserve to be put in just one portion of the calendar. Why Filipino people should be infused into everyday life:
1. Culture of Continuous Generosity
Christmas is a season of giving and charity. We see people who go out of their way to help others, donate to charities, and share meals with less fortunate members of society during the holiday season. What if we maintained this spirit of generosity all year round? Communities might witness an improvement in well-being and connectivity by incorporating giving as a daily lifestyle instead of an annual occurrence.
Just imagine if acts of random kindness became the norm instead of the exception-including dinner solutions, helpful hands, and uplifting words. The results would be colossal for both the recipient and the giver.
2 Building Relationships Past the Holidays
Holiday season - reunions with the family, catching up with relatives and friends, and bonding with each other. There is more to a relationship than a season of attention. We become opportunities for care and nurturing at all times of the year if we embody the spirit of Christmas. Family reunions, calls with no specific agenda, words of appreciation would make loved ones feel cared about and strengthen relationships in ways that supersede the seasonal rush.
Being there, or just listening and showing the love and appreciation each day will help build tighter emotional bonds that are far away from the last months of the year.
3. Gratitude and Positive Mental Attitude
Christmas is that period in which people focus on the positive and get thankful for what one has, and hope as a ray of the future unfolds. Why must this feel-good attitude be saved for just a few months in a year? Gratitude practiced daily enhances happiness as well as life satisfaction. When Filipinos make themselves thankful for small blessings, they can further develop their sense of joy and contentment throughout the year.
Taking a moment daily to reflect on what you are thankful for can turn your outlook and mental health around, making life easier to handle with resilience and optimism.
Christmas Every Day: How It Can Be Made to Happen
Celebrating Christmas every day is an abstract concept; however, if done with consciousness, it is possible. Here is how it can be made to happen:
1. Small Acts of Kindness
Help others not only during the holiday season but as a daily activity. Open the door for another person, assist a friend, or volunteer in community events. These small acts show the Christmas spirit all-year-round.
2. Gratitude Practice Daily
Begin each day by writing down three things you are thankful for. They might be something as simple as having breakfast with your family or being able to walk to work. That helps keep the Christmas spirit alive by staying positive and content.
3. Regular Family Time
Always find time for your family, not only during holidays. Family dinners can be weekly; game nights or Sunday picnics are all awesome ways to strengthen bonds and keep the holiday spirit burning.
4. Mindful Gift-Giving
Give an ordinary Christmas every day as gift, instead of storing in the Christmas season. And a note, small gifts, or even some help are good enough for making them feel valued. Every expression of appreciation and love reinforces relationships.
New Ever Day Christmas Tradition
Beautifully lit with full joy is the Philippines during the period of September through December, but what is an even more fulfilling and harmonious life, I'd say, when this season can extend even to months. Parties and decorations may represent Christmas, but its love, sharing, and hope define the essence of the Yuletide season.
Make Christmas part of daily life and build a culture of kindness and gratitude. It is time to shift from four months of Christmas celebrations to 365 days of its values. For it is not in the season but in the manner of dealing with each other that we can find the true spirit of Christmas. Doing so will make araw-araw ay pasko into a reality.
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