Paskong Pinoy

“Paskong Pinoy”
Christmas is the longest and most celebrated holiday in the Philippines. Once
the “-ber months” kick in, Filipinos are automatically in their best holiday moods. We
may have heard it more than once—there's nothing like Christmas in the Philippines.
Paskong Pinoy is full of warm, rich and vibrant feelings, sights, smells and
sounds, decided to create Christmas decorations showing the warmth of Filipino
holidays to remind clients and employees that “Talaga namang wala nang hihigit pa
sa Paskong Pinoy.”
Inside Filipino homes, there are Christmas trees and a “belen” or nativity scene.
We decided to replicate the nativity scene (belen) to draw attention to the importance of
the essence of Christmas, the origin of the holiday—the birth of Jesus Christ. This Belen
appeals to us that Christ is the reason and the center of everything why we celebrate
Christmas.
To add a Filipino flavor to the beautiful nativity scene, native materials were used.
Dried “cogon grasses” were used to make up the stable’s roof. Cogon grass is in fact, a
weed, and many people see it as a pest. But, we basked in it, treated it as a gift and
turned it into something beautiful. The walls of the stable were made of weaved old
newspaper that were painted with varnish to depict a “bahay kubo”. In the center, we
placed a Christ Child. And around it we arranged Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, and the
three kings the way we, in every age, have pictured them. The head of the statues were
made of dried coconuts wrapped with old cloths. The three kings were crowned with a
paper crown. A lighted star was placed on top of the stable while old and used yellow
Christmas lights were used to brighten the black cloth. And of course, it had to be
uniquely Filipino, the words “Maligayang Pako” were made of broom sticks and were
placed on the roof of the stable.
Putting up and decorating the Christmas tree are considered as one of the
anticipated activity of the Filipino family. With that, the group decided to put up a
Christmas tree which was adorned with stars and poinsettia flowers made of old
newspapers painted with varnish and added some glitters to be vibrant. To brighten up
the hall ways, old Christmas lights were used, and Christmas wall decors made of soda
bottles, newspapers and twigs were hung and served as accent pieces.
The parol (also known as the Philippine Lantern) is one of the most common
ornaments found in many Filipino households during Christmas time – ornaments that
signal the start of the holiday season and symbolize the hope and goodwill that Filipinos
share during this time. We innovated the traditional parol showing Filipino’s ingenuity
and resourcefulness by using eco-friendly and recycled decors. The parols were made of
used plastic forks tied up and shaped like a five-pointed star. The bells were made of
used disposable plastic cups. Some parols were made of straws, disposable plastic
plates, used soda bottles, cup noodles, dried leaves, coconut fiber, top of coconut husk,
and old newspapers. The recycled materials were used to promote craft empowerment,
zero-waste, and ethical fashion.
Even in the making of them, we used a distinctly Pinoy concept: Bayanihan. The
group worked together from the concept/planning stage up to the actual making and
designing of the decors, each one assigned to a particular task depending on that
person’s specialty. The goal of the group is to create the Philippine-style Christmas spirit
in the office so the clients as well as the employees would still feel at home when visiting
the office and that they will be treated as a family.
It is easy to get lost in the sea of reds and greens; Christmas is a celebration that
has grown in different shapes and angles. These are enough for sheer excitement and
festive fun, the Filipino touch in the Christmas spirit offers much more than that. It
goes deeper than the surface. Christmas is a culmination of Filipinos’ core values-
generosity, creativity, love for family, enjoy festivities, indulge in food and music. The
star that shines the brightest during this season is the incredible Filipino spirit. Despite
the natural disasters, the traffic situation, and the adversities, Filipinos will always find
a way to celebrate and be thankful just being with their families and friends on
Christmas day!
Maligayang Pasko!

Paskong Pinoy

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