Christmas in the Philippines

Fred managed to attend all nine days of the early AM mass, and the topped it off with Mass last night...it's really "midnight" mass, but at 9 pm...we arrived at 7:45 and got seats.

They had a children's orchestra! play Christmas songs for the Baby Jesus for an hour concert...they were quite good. Then we had Mass.
After the start of Mass, right before the "Gloria" was sung, there was a procession of people, including one girl carrying the Christ child, and a very small boy, looking about age 8, who played the flute...and he played it very well, all the way up the aisle...then the statue of the Child was placed in the manger, and the "angel" descended to above the manger, and the star went on, and everyone sang the Gloria in Tagalog...and later we sang "Happy birthday" to the Christ child...

A wonderful Mass...
And afterward, Lolo decided since he couldn't jog in the morning, to jog around the center square near our house...I talked him out of it after one round (1/8 mile)...the square was full of young folks, talking and flirting and playing, and throwing fire crackers.

And after we got home, our son and daughter in law had a big family feast (They go to the more staid Baptist celebration in the morning, but knew we would be hungry)...so we ate ham and chicken and fruit, and listened to Christmas carols...

This morning, everyone from the neighborhood (and some from other neighborhoods) who had "connections" with Lolo came to visit...Dita counted 100--and they all received a gift from Lolo... this is traditional on the holidays...

This evening, we have a supper at Dr Angie's house...
My "gift" was a fancy gown for our niece's wedding next week...
No photos of church, since my palmpocket camera won't take good photos at night...

(continued next post)