Christmas in Canada: Filipino Style

Christmas is a very special holiday in the Philippines. On the first day of the "Ber" months (September to December), radio stations begin to play Christmas songs. People set up their Christmas trees and start decorating their homes with colourful lights and lanterns. Christmas is the most awaited celebration before the year ends.

Our Christmas Light Display

Lantern - a symbol of Christmas

Christmas celebration is always a family event. During this season, members of the family that have been away for some time find time to visit their relatives and spend  Christmas Eve together. Here in Canada, if immigrants don't have their family with  them yet, friends and fellow Filipinos are the closest to family they'll have.And they are lucky if they have several fellows in the community to somehow make them feel at home. 

Every year in our small town of Kipling in Saskatchewan, all Filipinos have a gathering on  Christmas Eve. Every household brings food which will be served on the Noche Buena. In addition to that, several parlour games are also prepared for everyone to enjoy. The traditional gift-giving is always a part of the celebration and the kids are the lucky ones because they receive the most number of gifts from their Ninong and Ninang (godparents).

No doubt Christmas is a very joyful tradition with family and friends. But we should not forget the reason of this festivity - that is to remember and celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

My Experiences in Living in Canada

Living away from home is not a new experience for me. I've been far from my hometown for several years since I started working and I don't mind it; but moving to a different country like Canada is a different story. It is in fact a challenge that until now I'm facing.

Most of my life I spent on the tropics so moving to Canada where half of the year is cold is quite a challenge. The extreme cold during winter makes you just want to stay at home and sleep. The snow- covered roads make you wish you don't need to go out to get to work. Before I arrived I was so excited to see snow but now I want that summer doesn't end.

I always like my Filipino food but where to get them is the question. Finding the ingredients to cook a dish you've grown-up with is really hard.When I first arrived here, there were only limited Filipino products that you could buy in the store. Now even the Superstore has shrimp paste on their shelves.

Transportation in the city is not a problem in Canada but if you live in the suburbs you need to have your own car or at least know someone who has a car to get you where you want to go.

Living in a foreign country is indeed a challenging experience but we have to face all these challenges if we want to have a better life.