Culture
Maligayang Pasko!
Photo by Ann. Edited by owbEe.
Cavite, Philippines. December 2009.
7107 Islands wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! 
May you all have Love, Good Health, Abundance and Good Fortune! ♥
Parol
Photos by Ann. Edited by owbEe.
Cavite, Philippines. December 2009.
Christmas in the Philippines is a very colorful, bright and happy occasion. Why you may ask? Well, if you haven’t been to the Philippines you might have not seen a parol yet. Parol, which is also called Philippine Christmas lantern, is a star-shaped lantern traditionally made from bamboo and colorful Japanese paper.
Filipinos usually hang their parols together with other Christmas ornaments as early as September until January.
The parol signifies the star that guided the Three Kings in their journey to Bethlehem. It also symbolizes the hope and goodwill of the Filipinos.
Regalo (Gift)
Photo by owbEe.
California, USA. December 2008.
Pasko (Christmas) is just three days away. And what do we usually think of in this time of the year? Gift-giving!
It is a common tradition to do gift-giving or what we call as monito-monita or Kris Kringle during Christmas. Everyone in a group randomly picks from a bowl of names and anonymously gives a gift to the person he/she picks during the Christmas party.
And like what the title says, gift in Filipino is called regalo.
Bayanihan: A true act of love
Photos by Kevin Tatco.
Ateneo de Manila University. September 2009.
Bayanihan is a Filipino term taken from the word bayan, referring to a nation, town or community. The whole term bayanihan refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. The process involves literally carrying the house to its new location…by putting bamboo poles forming a strong frame to lift the stilts from the ground and carrying the whole house with the men positioned at the ends of each pole. – Wikipedia
Two days ago, typhoon Ondoy (International code name: Ketsana) brought a month’s worth of rainfall to Metro Manila and nearby areas in just a few hours, causing severe flooding which resulted in the loss of many lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
In this time of great need, we witness many people joining hands to help those in need, such as the relief operation done by students and faculty in Ateneo. It is great to know that even in this day and age when we no longer experience helping our neighbors by literally carrying their entire houses, we can still feel the essence of bayanihan at its very best.
NOTE TO ALL
Let us all help the victims of typhoon Ondoy through our prayers and donations. You can send out your donations to Philippine National Red Cross and World Food Programme. You can also help by volunteering and donating to several relief operation sites in Quezon City, Manila, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Makati, Taguig, Pasay, San Juan, Fairview, Alabang, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Baguio, Bulacan, Cagayan, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Davao, and Zamboanga. For the list of local and international locations please click here. Thank you!
“A little act of kindness can save a lot of lives.”
