Last
This week is the last week of English conversation classes for this year, so I decided to end the year right by writing. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything about me to share, so I’m going to write about Christmas in the Philippines because Christmas is next week and it’s my favorite holiday.
Unlike in Japan, where Christmas is considered a “couples day”, Christmas in the Philippines is very much a day for family. It is a day when people return to their hometown and go to mass (if they’re Catholics) and have Christmas dinner with their family.
My nuclear family celebrates Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. We have dinner on Christmas Eve and play games and watch movies and talk and talk and talk while waiting for midnight. As soon as the clock hits 12, one of us in a Santa hat (usually me) gives out the presents under the Christmas tree. We watch each other open every present we get and talk about the story behind each present.
After all the presents have been given out, it would already be 1 or 2 in the morning; so we’re usually asleep until noon on Christmas Day. Christmas Day afternoon is usually quiet, but Christmas Day evening is very lively and noisy because my family goes to my father’s parent’s home where we have Christmas Dinner with my grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins. Since there are so many of us, the atmosphere is really festive.
I love celebrating Christmas with my family so I’m really excited about going home. I know Christmas is not a big thing in Japan, but I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I know I will because everyone deserves a merry Christmas! 😁😁😁