Here comes the “Ber” months!Many are saying that when “ber” months disembark, it is the time when Christmas is fast approaching. Some would also say that mornings of these months are expected to be a little bit colder and one will surely feel that the spirit of the yuletide season is just around the corner. People have even started greeting their friends and telling them that they are the first one who greeted them “Merry Christmas” this year.
On the other side of the story, some radio stations in town have just started playing holiday carols as the world’s longest Christmas season unfolds in the Philippines, which is Asia’s predominantly Christian nation. Some other people are already making their list for the coming Christmas season as early as today. At home, families have recently hanged their Christmas decorations ahead of time.
Shopping malls and convenient stores, however, will once again be very busy as always when “ber” months come. This is also the time where many people are spending a lot, and we will see that even amid global financial crisis there are still a lot of people spending their money just to give their love ones, especially
mga inaanak with
Ninongs and
Ninangs emptying their pockets, and celebrate the season with great pride.
But before we sink in a lot about the Christmas stuff here, let’s see what are other official holidays and activities that we are anticipating during “ber” months which we are used to every year. Let’s take a recall of some special days, events, and feasts of these months.
September FeverSeptember has been pegged as the start for Christmas countdown with everybody greeting one and all a “Merry Christmas” and others asking for some presents from friends and relatives or even from foes. Usually, this month marks the transition from summer into winter when the arrival of the night becomes noticeably earlier. It is also the time when the environment starts getting chilly and cold. But what are some of the most significant days of the month that are being remembered and celebrated?
September is the World Tourism Month. Different sectors in the tourism department in the whole archipelago with the rest of the world devoted their time and effort in promoting and sustaining the beauty and importance of the tourism industry. Also, locally here in Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City, some universities and colleges took part for the celebration of the said event with different approaches.
Another one big event that took place during this month is the commemoration of the Martial Law on September 21. With the dictatorship and authoritarian rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Martial Law was proclaimed after it was signed on September 21, 1972. It would remind the Philippine community the bitterness of the government during the time then. It took nine years of suppression that made public and private entities to be mum about government inequities. And even media industries from radio and television were not able to exercise their right for expression.
Talking about press freedom, the media industry have observed the Press Freedom Week this September. Freedom of the press suggests that any form of published material from the media industry, may it be print or broadcast, should not be interfered especially by the government or any entity, withstanding the factual account of the story covering the code of ethics to disclose matters relating to imbalances of concerned.
According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers".
Creepy October There are local activities in the province that are being celebrated in October. One of which is the grandest festival of festivals, Buglasan Festival. Negros Oriental is now on high gear as it prepares for the upcoming festival. Towns and cities of the province have also organized their presentations and preparations to showcase their own local goods and talents in the said occasion.
Towns and cities in the province will be given a chance to promote their own products, handicrafts, fresh creations, and its tourist spots all in one. The weeklong fiesta celebration will also highlight the province’s beauty with festival street dances, food fests, trade fairs, and the two-day fireworks competition. And the schedule of activities for the said festival has been set from October 16-25.
Another event that will be observed this month is the United Nations Day on October 24. United Nations Day has traditionally been marked throughout the world with meetings, discussions, and exhibits about the achievements and goals of the organization. As member nation, Philippines will also be part in celebrating the event. Celebrations often include a show of cultural performances in the evening and a food fair, where food is available from all over the world.
The anniversary of the charter of the United Nations is devoted to making known to the people of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gain their support for its work. The said occasion will be part of the weeklong celebration of the United Nations Week on October 20-26.
And the last day of the month will mark the “Halloween”. Oftentimes the environment would also become very scary. People will be ready for their costume parties wearing their best and scariest mask and outfit to frighten other people. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, pranking people, reading scary stories, and watching movies. The day is also often associated with the colors’ orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols such as the jack-o'-lantern.
November RushIt might as well be the extension of the celebration of Halloween but November has also a lot to offer. It will probably be another semester for students to deal with. This month will be devoted for families who have gone and seen each other a long time but would be able to meet again because of a special the occasion with the dead.
But before we go into something like that, we have to venerate first the All Saints’ Day on the first day of November. We have to celebrate the solemnity of the day with thanks and praises to the saints by lighting up some candles and going to churches and chapels in our respective barangays. The feast of the church has always honored those early witnesses to the Christian faith who have died in the Lord.
The early history of the church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these of witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints and baptized Christians of all ages and all states in life, whose loyalty and courage led to their holiness have provided models for every other Christian throughout history. Many of those especially holy people whose names and stories were known, the church later canonized and recognized the life of those persons without any doubt holy.
On its second day is the commemoration of All Souls’ Day. The Roman Catholic celebration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to forgivable sins, or have not fully been cleansed from attachment to mortal sins, cannot attain the blissful vision in heaven yet, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. However, All Souls' Day is also known as the Feast of All Souls which is the commemoration of all the faithful departed.
Merry DecemberAnd now the final month of “ber” months is December. Here comes the month that everybody would not want to miss. Christmas decorations were already hanged and the list for preparations is already on the go. Perhaps presents from
Ninongs and
Ninangs will boom from left to right that will be overwhelming. It is also not the only time that one will give praises and thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord but it should be everyday.
Christmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Philippines, the predominantly Roman Catholic Christian country in Asia, Christmas Eve is usually celebrated by attending the
Misa del Gallo which is celebrated hours before the clock ticks 12 a.m. signifying the arrival of Christmas Day.
After attending church, Filipino families usually hold a feast named
Noche Buena to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A great variety of food is eaten during this feast, an event that usually done with great preparations. Foods being prepared include the famous
lechon,
quezo de bola, jamon, roast chicken, barbecued meats,
pancit, among many others. Despite the fact that some families are poor, they still find a way to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ through eating, family time, and merry-making.
Christmas Day is primarily a family affair. In urban areas, many schools and offices organize Christmas parties, which are usually held during the second week of December or right before universities go on holiday. Common activities include Kris Kringle, parlor games, song and dance numbers, exchange gifts, and even caroling. The
Misa de Aguinaldo, on the other hand, is celebrated on December 25. It is usually attended by the whole family. It is often celebrated between sunrise and 10 a.m., a schedule preferred by many Filipinos who stay up late on Christmas Eve for the night-long celebration of the
Noche Buena.
On December 28,
Niños Inocentes is also commemorated as Holy Innocents' Day. It is the day that everyone is fooling around. People would tend to lie and prank just to make fun to someone and to laugh at. On December 31, New Year's Eve, Filipino families gather for the
Media Noche, a feast that is also supposed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year. Christmas officially does not end without the Feast of the Three Kings which is traditionally commemorated on the first Sunday after the New Year.
There are still other activities this month. Like, the Founder’s Anniversary of Negros Oriental State University. The League of Student Organizations with registered student organizations will be creating their booth, showcasing gimmicks and fun fair. Also, one of the anticipated competitions in the university will be seen, manifesting dynamic talents of Norsunians, the cheering and cheer dance competition, the Hugyawan Festival, and other related stuff. All these will be celebrated in the first week of December.
Long before you realize the whole thing, the most awaited event of the year have come and gone, so as early as now, let’s begin to feel and atmosphere the spirit of the yuletide season by starting out our own countdown up until the 25th of December like any other holiday season during the length of the “ber” months. [Source: WIKIPEDIA]
