Christmas! It's Christmas!

I'm so happy that I'm spending Christmas at home. We originally planned on spending it somewhere else, but I kinda vetoed it due to work and my health. I've experienced celebrating Christmas in other countries and it was just plain depressing. I just can't bear not being home for Christmas.

A friend of mine buzzed me earlier and asked, "How's Christmas in Manila?" I told her that Manila is the place to be during Christmas. 

Why?

1. We have the longest Christmas season which usually starts in September when radio stations start playing Christmas songs and malls start decorating for Christmas (skipping Halloween!). 

2. We go out of our way to decorate our homes (and workstations/rooms... even our blogs!) and usually hang a parol (Christmas lantern) out front. We also have the belen which some place in their garden or under the Christmas tree.

3. We even have special Christmas food! There's puto bungbong and bibingka and hamon! And a whole lot of other food we only prepare during Christmas like chicken galantina, special salads and a gazillions of pastries!

4. Kris kringle/monito-monita is something we always have in offices. Year-in, year-out you have to get something long, something green, something hard, something soft or whatever crazy theme HR or the Christmas committee can think about. 

5. The newbie dances! I'm so glad that I work remotely since I've just had enough of those annual newbies-must-dance-and-look-dumb thingies. I got transferred a lot in different companies and I found myself practising for those thingies each and every year. 

6. Who can forget the traffic? `nuff said.

7. Endless parties and reunions. It's the time of the year where you just really need to see everyone and you find your calendar filled-up with parties and reunions. I kinda skipped it this year and will just likely catch up with friends in January.

8. Shopping! Aside from malls there are tiangges where you can get great gifts! And don't forget to go to Greenhills!

9. Gifts! Gifts! Gifts! It's the time of the year where you get lots of mugs (LOLz!), frames or shirts! To avoid this, what my friends and I usually do is come up with a wish list and just coordinate what we buy. We've been doing it for several years now and it works!

10. Christmas carols, especially local ones always give a warm, fuzzy, happy feeling.

I do hope you have a Merry Christmas dear friend!