“Let’s sing Merry Christmas, and a happy holiday…”
Almost playfully, many Filipinos sing to pop composer/singer Jose Mari Chan’s song “Christmas in Our Hearts” as early as September (the start of the months ending in “-ber”), in cheerful anticipation of Christmas Day, Dec. 25 — the biggest, most important holy day/holiday of the year in Filipino culture and tradition. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, in Christian faiths.
“I remember the Child,
in the manger, as He sleeps…”
The Philippines celebrates the world’s longest Christmas season. The holiday season creeps in by September, reaches its peak in December during Christmastide, and carries on in the week after New Year’s Day; however, festivities may last until the third Sunday of January, the feast day of the Santo Niño. Liturgically, the Christmas season is observed by the Catholic Church from the first day of Advent (the fourth Sunday before Christmas) to Three Kings’ Day, which falls on the Sunday between Jan. 2 and 8.
As of 2019, the Philippines was the third largest Catholic country in the world and was one of two predominantly Catholic nations in Asia, the other being Timor Leste (East Timor). According to the 2020 census, at least 84% of the Philippine population is Christian; about 79% belong to the Catholic Church while about 5% belong to Protestantism and other denominations such as the Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Apostolic Catholic Church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the Members Church of God International (MCGI), and the Pentecostals (Philippine Statistics Authority, Feb. 22, 2023).
In 2022, around 31.6% of the global population identify as Christian. Around 25.8% of the global population identify as Muslim, followed by 15.1% (statista.com). Yet, of 234 nations in the world, Christmas is observed and is a public holiday in 163 states and two territories. Christmas is observed but is not a public holiday in 21 states. Only in 13 states and one disputed territory is Christmas neither observed nor is it a public holiday (statistics from wikipedia.org). Almost 80% of the world observes Christmas! Actually, 100% of the world recognizes Christmas, proven by the very rejection of those states who are in denial of this inescapable worldwide holiday.
“Let’s light our Christmas trees,
for a bright tomorrow
where nations are at peace…”
Christmas has evolved a parallel secular meaning, without superseding the spiritual Christian belief in the birth of Christ the Redeemer, that elicits the universal and human intuitive hope in life, in peaceful co-existence with fellowmen. Peace and hope: that is what “Christmas” means to all. Some may say that Christmas has become too commercialized around the world, but the gift-giving and merry-making in this season only emphasize the joys of life and love of family and friends.
“Wherever there are people
giving gifts, exchanging cards,
I believe that Christmas
is truly in their hearts.”
Does China celebrate Christmas? Like the rest of the world, Christmas Day in China is on December 25th each year. It is not a public holiday in the mainland, but in Hong Kong and Macau where British and Portuguese influence is heavy, people enjoy a two-day public holiday every year.
Of course, it is not a religious occasion (China is atheist), but it is more of a secular season of shopping and feasting. Tapping into the festive mood, commercial establishments and malls attract shoppers with seasonal sales, according to China Admissions, a travel research group. Large shopping malls in China are open for the Christmas craze, and carols can be heard playing in the stores. It’s a lighthearted day for young people to go out with their significant others and celebrate with small gifts. They also hang out with friends to go out to a movie, karaoke bar, or go shopping. There is even the Beiji Village, China’s first Christmas theme park in the northernmost arctic part of China in the Mohe countryside, where you can see the Northern Lights in this village, ride a sled, play with snow, visit Santa Claus’ House and experience Christmas like never before (Ibid.).
How antithetical can Christmas be to China’s stoic communism! Consider that Yiwu, a town in Zhejiang province is the main source of the world’s Christmas decorations — it manufactures 60% of Christmas decorations in the world! Back in 2012, Yiwu had more than 750 manufacturing companies making Christmas products. One may quip: “The rest of the world has Yiwu to thank for Christmas!” (Ibid.).
Have there been Christmases in Russia and Ukraine, since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022?
Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7th, according to the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. Called Svyatki, the season lasts from January 7th to the 19th, preceded by fasting for 40 days before Christmas Eve. It is a festive season that includes many traditions, including religious observances, fortune-telling, and gifts.
Historically, the Ukrainians followed the Julian/Orthodox calendar, like the Russians. Recently, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (which is independent from Moscow) gave permission to each congregation to decide whether to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 or Jan. 7.
It seems Christmas will be bleak this year, for both Russia and Ukraine, on the third year of the war.
Casualties in the Russo-Ukrainian War include six deaths during the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 14,200-14,400 military and civilian deaths during the War in Donbas, and up to 1,000,000 estimated casualties during the Russian invasion of Ukraine till mid-September 2024 (The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 17, 2024).
When will peace come to end the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas launched coordinated armed incursions on Israel from the Gaza Strip?
Christmas celebrations in Israel are few compared to other places in the world. Only 2.5% of the country’s population are Christians. Christmas is not one of Israel’s holidays due to the fact that the country was set up around Judaism, not Christianity. However, the Christmas story took place according to tradition in the Holy Land, in the territories of the State of Israel and in the areas under its control (touristisrael.com, Dec. 13, 2016).
With war raging in Gaza, Christmas was canceled in Bethlehem in December 2023. The city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank which would have been teeming with visitors, was almost deserted. Local leaders decided to scale back festivities in solidarity with the Palestinian population, as heavy fighting raged between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip (CNN, Dec. 24, 2023).
As of Dec. 10, over 46,000 people — 44,786 Palestinian and 1,706 Israeli — have been reported killed in the Israel-Hamas war, as well as 141-156 journalists and media workers, 120 academics, and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, a number that includes 179 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA. (The Guardian, Oct. 10).
We pray for peace and hope in the world — a true Christmas, in this most troubled world.
“Let Him be the One to guide us
as another New Year starts
And may the spirit of Christmas
be always in our hearts.”
Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.
