My Favourite Christmas

To celebrate this festive season, four HOME shelter residents share their favorite memories of Christmas. They are all members of HOME’s creative writing workshop.

Jessiebel Pinkihan

I love reminiscing back to a time 20 years ago, when I was just at my sweet 16. Every 16th of December, my friends and I would go caroling from one barangay (neighborhood) to another, and after that we attended the midnight mass in church. We would go back home carrying the gifts that people had given us for our caroling: ducks, chickens, cash, and even camote (sweet potato) and bibingka (rice cake). We would do this every night until the 24th of December. During daytime, when our classes were finished, my friends and I started decorating the church with Christmas lanterns and Christmas trees, and putting Santa’s picture on the main door. On December 25, we used everything we had collected during our caroling to buy food to be shared during our Christmas party. We also exchanged gifts and played games. It is so sweet remembering my childhood Christmas; sharing what you have is such a great feeling. As I grow older, I will keep on remembering these times, wishing I could bring them back.

Sandra Vergara

Christmas is coming. I remember when I was around 6 or 7 years old, I used to write to Santa to tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I would put this short list in a sock, and hang it on the door in the belief that Santa would see it. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. We used to go to church for Christmas Eve Mass – or Simbang Gabi as we say in Tagalog. My family and I made it a habit to go every year. As for our food, spaghetti was always present; my mother cooked it, and it was the best spaghetti ever. My sisters and I also played games during Christmas, and we stayed up until the next morning. I remember that one time, my sister and I were out caroling at a neighbor’s, and it was funny because a dog chased us back home, so we couldn’t get any coins! When I remember that Christmas it still makes me smile.

Roselyn de Guzman

I want to share the best Christmas I ever had. Usually I celebrate Christmas with my family, but my best Christmas was when my beautiful daughter was born. She was born in the month of October. She is the best Christmas gift I have ever received. Even though I wasn’t with my family, since they were in Manila, it was still the best Christmas because of my daughter. In the Philippines, Christmas is important because it is the day that Jesus Christ was born. We usually cook for Christmas Eve, and celebrate together with family and other relatives. During our Christmas party, we have a lot of food – fruit salad, spaghetti, ham, wine, beer, queso de bola (Edam cheese) – and we go to church at midnight. That’s how we celebrate our Christmas.

Rose Ann Somera

Christmas is about sharing and celebrating the birth of Jesus. The best Christmas I had was when all my relatives came to our home to celebrate with us. I have a lot of happy memories of that time: we exchanged gifts, did some Christmas caroling, and watched the fireworks. When we celebrated the New Year, all of my relatives also came to our house, and we had a lot of fun.