Sale-ebrating Christmas in California

Christmas evokes a lot of emotions. It also makes people more nostalgic. As Christmas Day approaches, it is very interesting to watch and observe people. Many people do many things they normally do not do during the rest of the year. As a non-conformist in many ways, I derive some enjoyment observing and studying people who act like robots and are quite predictable, especially this Christmas season when more people suffer from more stress and depression.

Whether it’s in the malls of Los Angeles, San Francisco or in Metro Manila, people are drawn by the powerful force discounts. I am continually amazed by and amused to hear or read of hundreds, if not thousands, of people falling in line as early as 3 a.m. in some department stores! It is crazy, but it happens every time.

Sometimes, I also hear of Filipino women taking pride in being one of the first in line at dawn and I just feel amused as it indicates a very shallow kind of existence, at least to my way of thinking and standards. Hearing such "accomplishments" that often become a source of pride for some people makes me sad as I am reminded by the wisdom of Socrates when he wrote that "an unexamined life is not worth living." At this point of my life, I have become more accepting. I can let go of things easier now. I can now just nod and say, "Let live!" Probably it is an omen of being mellow, wiser and older!

Christmas makes many Filipinos in America more giving and charitable. During the holidays – from Thanksgiving through Christmas plus accumulated sick leave time or compensatory time off – many Filipinos take occasional trips to the Philippines. Predictably, airlines and hotel also take advantage of the peak season to raise their prices. (Unfortunately, the law of supply and demand has not been repealed despite the attempts of some lawmakers!) My friends at Forex Cargo tell me that the weeks before Christmas are also the busiest as there are more Filipinos sending the world-famous balikbayan boxes to their relatives. Merry Christmas almost always means "What’s my Christmas gift from you?" Even Filipino Christmas songs, like Mano po, Ninong, depict expectations of gifts from the rest of the family. That’s culturally acceptable yet it also creates a lot of stress especially during downturns of the economy.

However, this is where the Church comes very handy and helpful in providing some degree of philosophizing that there is really no need to be very materialistic during Christmas time. An all-time favorite Christmas banner in our church says it all: "Christ is the reason for the season!" We feel the spirit of Christ and the season easier when we feed the hungry and the homeless in our JustFaith Ministry. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Christmas parties, like any other party, hosted by Filipinos are very popular among Americans because of the food we serve and our innate love for singing, karaoke and having a good time. In general, Pinoy parties are more bongga. A friend explained it to me this way: "It’s not the economy stupid, it is in the cultural DNA!"

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In our neighborhood are the most elaborate Christmas decorations in this part of Orange Country – where people three weeks before Christmas come and stroll around for hours. Non-residents cannot drive their cars inside our neighborhood without the city-issued permit because there are hundreds of families walking and enjoying the displays of lights and decorations of the entire neighborhood. It’s an annual fiesta – especially on weekend nights.

However, for a Filipino family like ours, a Christmas decoration is not complete without some Pinoy motif. To relive the past, our decorations at home also include a small parol (that is unique and you cannot buy in the malls!), a statue of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus laying in dayami. During our gathering of friends and business associates, we also prepare lots of kakanin and Filipino foods for our guests.

When the guests are happy and they look forward to being invited again, we are also happy. This Christmas, I told my guests not to bring anything for our family but a check for any amount for the Orphanage in the Philippines or the Good Samaritan Foundation of fellow STAR columnist Art Borjal – which we will send as soon as possible.

In the end, Christmas truly brings back memories of yesteryear as families get together and become closer not necessarily because of the gifts we give or receive but due to the genuine spirit of togetherness. What season (if not Christmas) when relatives, cousins and extended families have the opportunity to bond more because the extended days off work or weeks of vacation from the real world?

* * * My Christmas Prayer

It’s Christmas time again and I feel all alone, with my thoughts, reliving where I have been, where I am now and where I want to go from here. I can’t help but become nostalgic with misty eyes, while composing this unorthodox Christmas prayer.

Oh Lord, Redeemer of the World, is this what it takes to be alive? To witness or undergo the endless deprivations and tribulations of humanity? From babies going hungry in Afghanistan to innocent human beings taken as hostages in Southern Philippines. Why can’t your people be happy and at peace not only in dreams and words but also in reality? For since I’ve flown from my parental nest, I think I have seen more human sadness and struggles than the joy and hope that Christmas traditionally brings.

During this festive season, celebrating the birth of the Savior of Men, it has always amazed me that people do unusual things and bring out their brotherly concern towards one another. It continuously puzzles me why your people can’t show signs and acts of love and charity every time. Tradition says, I was told, that’s the way it was, that’s the way it is and that’s the mystery of Christmas time. And I asked in my Christmas prayer, "But why not?"

Dear God, I accept that I am just one creature who does not always understand and conform with what I see in this world. Help me that in my desire to be successful in your eyes and strong for my family, I may also be a compassionate and loving person; that this Christmas and in the coming years, I may become more sympathetic with those around me despite their divergent views of the world we share. I hope and fervently pray that other people would also see your light and do what is right. This is my prayer for the world and for all mankind.

Dear Lord, please hear these prayers from my heart and soul: I implore you most especially – that my health and my general well-being as well as those I care and love will be at its peak; that the basic material things that are necessary to be happy and fulfilled be provided for; that my hopes, fears and dreams in life are shared lovingly with my families and friends all the time; and that my life here on this Earth will have real purpose and meaning.

Oh Lord, my Savior, hear me – this is my Christmas prayer!

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