For the rich ones, dancing colors of green, red, yellow and blue from an expensive lantern rule the night. Human-sized Santa Clauses projected the best smiles as they sit under a humongous Christmas tree bejeweled with gaudy Christmas balls. On the barrio setting, branches of real trees will have been placed in the living room by the people dangled with candies making it the sweetest Christmas tree ever and they will have hanged the hand-made paper decors before December. Happy tunes of Christmas songs have been playing on local radio stations. The streets have been being roamed by little and like baby moths they circle the amplified light posts which had been magically turned into a Christmas light post with its boasting Christmas lights. .
Filipinos are fond of carolling during Christmas. For the month of October, lovely voices are heard from children and choir groups roaming at night and singing Christmas carols. There are some children who would sing Christmas songs with incorrect lyrics in front of you directly. And the most terrible, children will have been carolling as early as November one during the hype of Halloween. It seems these children are fond of the tradition of receiving "aguinaldo" or money.
As the month of December comes, another most-awaited activity is the "Simbang Gabi", the Holy Mass celebrated for 9 consecutive nights as a preparation for Christmas Eve. Starting December 16, people would wake up as early as 3:00 am to attend mass. There is a belief that if you completed this nine early morning devotional mass, a wish would be granted. Even if it is not yet proven, Filipinos would do everything to be able to attend these nine mornings. A funny instance is that three alarm clocks had been set by the people to be able to wake up early and had even asked someone to wake them up early. And if they fail to even for just one day, you would see a face of devastation because their wish would not come true.
