2025!! What?! Yes, today it's Christmas 2025.
I have been seeing Christmas posts on the Facebook lately regarding how simple back it was in the days. I wanted to share my pang MMK, SIMPLE Christmas experiences too, (yes experiences, kasi madami! haha) but I decided to just revive this decade year old blog.
Am I ready to share without cutting onions? Haha
CHRISTMAS CARD
Okay, so first, I was around 10 years old. It was the 24th and Mom and I were in a rush to buy something for Christmas feast. By that time, I think the 500 peso trending challenge of today is more than enough for Noche Buena. Haha! Kidding aside, I am sure that Mom's money was less than that. Anyway, I told my mom to just leave me in Goodluck Department Store as I am tired of walking. So she then went ahead. I went straight inside the store and bought that Christmas Card that I was eyeing for 2 weeks. Got all the coins from my pocket and gave it to the cashier. I hid it at my back and waited for mom to come back.
Come 25th, me and my sister gave the Christmas Card to our mom. I cant remember her reaction. All I can remember is our little success to atleast gave her her first Christmas card and the struggle to save the 25 peso. Back in the days, our baon was food and juice or no baon at all! When I saw the card, I really wanted to give it to her, but how can I even buy it. I dont know how my sister saved the 5 peso but the rest, I gathered from asking my classmates and friends to pay me and I will do something for them in return. I made their homeworks, I wrote lesson notes in their notebooks, I switched to be a cleaner, I sold yema. I was able to gather 18 pesos and can't remember upto now where the 2 peso came from. The feeling when I gave the coins to the cashier and the excitement when we finally have something for mom still lingers to me till now. I guess this was the start why I love surprises and giving gifts.
And yes, that was our Christmas!
NOCHE BUENA
On the 24th of December, at almost 7pm, we were just boiling water for coffee. After couple of minutes, mom asked me to cook rice and fry tuyo. We ate together ON the small table of our sari-sari store just beside the road. Every time someone would pass by, mom will greet Merry Christmas and "Kaon!". And that's it, that's our Christmas, no gifts, no spaghetti, no Ham. As a child who's always excited for Christmas, this became my saddest Christmas experience. I wanted to promise to myself to not let this happen again, but how ? We couldn't even afford to pay the 20 peso contribution for our Christmas party.
During the midnight mass, my 11 year-old self was crying while praying. I cant remember what I was praying for (for sure to be rich hahaha) and as I was praying, I was looking on the big white circle in the altar. From then on, every time I go for mass in that same chapel, I would always look on the circle and would wish and pray. It became like wishing well (well circle, lol) and a symbol of my Christmas.
There's also another noche buena story a year after or 2 years after that. 24th of December, again, no plans for noche buena. Luckily, our neighbor's sister was looking for someone to clean their entire house for Christmas. Without hesitation, we jumped in (me and my friend) and cleaned the house. We started cleaning at around 12 or 1 pm and finished around 5:30 pm. They gave us 350 pesos each and ladies and gentlemen, I was once again so excited to give the money to my mom who was already waiting for me outside the grocery store.
Again, I attended the midnight mass and cried. Thanking God for His providence, for His miracle, for His Great Love for us. That same circle in the altar saw my tears, the happiness in my heart, for atlast --- noche buena!
CHRISTMAS GIFT
Mom used to buy us gifts every Christmas. She's once of the moms pretending to be Santa. She would hide gifts somewhere (usually in the hospital across our sari sari store) so that we wont see it until Christmas. But life gave us lemons and we didnt know how make lemonades. Haha! She suddenly couldnt afford to buy us anything anymore.
There was this one Christmas that I really wanted to have a pair of shoes or a t-shirt atleast. My shoes were worn out and I was borrowing shoes from my aunt and cousin every school time. I didnt have any decent shirt to wear whenever we would have school activities. There was a school competition one time that was held on a weekend, I didnt show up because I dont have anything to wear.
So imagine my eagerness, but I know obviously we cant afford.
I was around 12 yo during this time, and this was the awkward phase for a teenager to ask gifts from ninangs/ninongs. So I went to mom's garden and chose the best plant with a nice pot, cleaned the pot and the leaves, tied some of the stems with colorful ribbons and wrapped the whole thing with a clear plastic cover. Ready for delivery! Guess to whom? And why? Hahaha.
I gave the plant to my ninang who never skipped in giving me gifts for Christmas. I know no more gifts for me that time, but I just gave it a shot. I know she is the only person who can afford to give me money so I can buy shoes or shirt. And yes, she gave me 100 pesos!!!! I was sooooooo happy (and upto this now thankful to her)!! I went home with excitement and told my mom while screaming. "Mom at last I can buy something!"
26th, when all stores opened, I bought my first ever brand new brown "Bunny Brand" tshirt. I used this shirt I think till my high school days and some time on my early working days as pambahay na.
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I may not want to be on those same situations again, but I miss those Christmas. I miss the feeling, the simplicity, the vibe, the simple wishes and thanksgiving that I cried over while praying. I missed how we were before, the passers by that we greeted, our little family eating together, me and my sister going to midnight mass, me with my cousins waiting for the sun to rise to brag to other kids that we didnt sleep on Christmas eve. I miss Christmas at home.
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