'Tis the season for new beginnings

MANILA, Philippines – The crisp nip in the air and that nagging tug on the heart can only mean one thing: It’s Christmastime! It’s the time to come home to family for the not-to-be-missed noche buena, be it ever so humble. With all the sinful Christmas goodies vying for one’s palate, it’s certainly not the time to diet. It’s the time to forgive, to give, to share, and care (perhaps a wee bit more than usual). For me, it’s the time to de-clutter, to get rid of clothes that have been sitting forever in my pitifully cramped closet unworn and untouched (some people may find some use for them). More than that, it’s the time to dust away the cobwebs in our hearts and make room for the Lord who has come — let’s not forget the divine reason behind the season.      

“Christmas is a time for new beginnings and new passions. It is also the time for us to reflect and to give thanks for blessings received,” says Marivic Añonuevo, Ayala Land senior vice president and group head of Ayala Malls.

Ayala Malls celebrates Christmas with heartwarming activities that foster relationships with self, family, community, the less fortunate, and the environment. Activities that give us renewed hopes and dreams.

It might as well be Christmas every day at the Ayala Malls, what with the holiday feeling you get as you scour its mind-boggling and pulse-racing mix of stores — from the most-coveted international brands (think Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo) to the most popular homegrown labels — and the finest and widest range of restaurants that cater to all sorts of taste buds and budgets.

Nuts about ‘the nutcracker’

Have a Christmas ball: Christmas at the Ayala Malls (above, Glorietta; right, TriNoma) dazzles with The Nutcracker-inspired ballerinas displaying an ingenius manipulation of LED lights. Décor by CAST Inc.

You can see and feel the magic of Christmas in The Nutcracker-inspired décor that decks up the halls and walls of Ayala Malls — trees with their blazing lights that beckon, candy canes that are more than eye candy, figures of soldiers standing at attention and of pointed-toe ballerinas in tutus that are just too mesmerizing!

A magical show of fairies, mice, sugar plum treats, and everything nice, The Nutcracker Ballet itself is a story of friendship, of new beginnings. Catch this truly spellbinding Christmas concert at Marquee Mall, Angeles City, Pampanga today, Dec. 19, 2-6 p.m. The show has had successful runs at the Ayala Malls for a month now.     

Giving life to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s adaptation of ETA Hoffmann’s story of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” are the outstanding young ballerinas from the Steps Dance Project spearheaded by director and founder Sofia Zobel-Elizalde. The Christmas ballet has two components: Pinoy Christmas — with the Steps foundation dancers interpreting how a Pinoy Christmas is spent, complete with dazzling parols and Excerpts from The Nutcracker.      

O Christmas tree, O giant Christmas tree: A huge Christmas tree, adorned with tiny ballerina dresses, takes center stage at Ayala Center Cebu.

With highly trained instructors and excellent facilities, Steps dance studio has danced its way to the top. Its ballet program follows the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus.      

Excerpts from The Nutcracker is choreographed by Jeffrey Espejo while Pinoy Christmas is choreographed by James Laforteza. Gino Gonzales is the brains behind the costume and production design while lighting direction is by the brilliant Katsch Catoy.

Before every show, there’s storytelling — to tell the kids the story of The Nutcracker, the magic that unfolds one Christmas Eve in the once staid household of the Stahlbaums when the starry-eyed Clara meets the Nutcracker Prince. Translated into ballet, The Nutcracker becomes a memorable story, with all the characters adding color to this oft-told holiday fairy tale. Particularly riveting is the scene where Clara’s godfather gives her the Nutcracker figure as a gift; then she sleeps and is transported to a dreamland where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy Queen in the Sugar Plum Fairy kingdom of sweets.

Christmas concerts kicked off the entire program in all the Ayala Malls featuring artists like Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, and Nikki Gil. Lighting up the holiday fete is the fireworks display every weekend at Glorietta, Greenbelt, Ayala Center Cebu, Bonifacio High Street, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Marquee.

Greenbelt was certainly dressed in holiday style as participating Greenbelt merchants showcased their holiday collections. Guests were treated to a visual feast of the best in Filipino designs, special discounts, and cocktails after the show.

Local designs take a bow: Models show off the holiday collection of local designers at Greenbelt Style.

Aside from decorating its malls for the holidays, Ayala Malls has lined up a host of activities to give us more reasons to be merry and enjoy our shopping all through the Christmas season.

Of new beginnings and imagining

Christmas at the Ayala Malls is all about fresh ideas, giving unique experiences to shoppers.  “Our campaign, ‘Imagine,’ takes you to a different time, a magical place where you can have happy memories with your loved ones. We hope that through our shows and Christmas offerings, we were able to spread cheer to our customers who came over to join us in these festivities,” says Rowena Tomeldan, Ayala Malls vice president and chief operating officer.    

There are activities that entertain and perhaps transport you to dreamland so you forget life’s daily aggravations even for a while. And then there are activities that inspire, touch, nay, move you towards doing your bit for others. For instance, there are the different crafts workshops (like rag doll-making and T-shirt decorating) at the different Ayala Malls, where you only need to donate something to be able to participate. In these assorted workshops, kids not only learn a craft or two, they also learn invaluable lessons in caring for others and sharing with the less fortunate. Among the beneficiaries of these workshops are Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Hour, and Centex.     

Twinkle, twinkle, little stars: Children of The Bridge School present a Christmas cantata at Alabang Town Center.

Also, discover new gift suggestions from the Christmas stations around the Ayala Malls and become bearers of hope as sales proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity.

And imagine this: Imagine Nation expression board. Here, you can post a message, put anything you wish for yourself and for your loved ones. The board is located in all Christmas Cheer Stations at Ayala Malls.      

Can you imagine a more inspired and inspiring Christmas than this?