We have the longest Christmas in the World

So runs a commercial here on Philippine TV.  But it is actually true!!

I am just about to finish Simbang gabi, the traditional Filipino religious custom of celebrating 9 masses before Christmas.  The parish priest talked me into going.  The masses started on Monday Dec 15th.  Fr Rico said to me I had a choice of 2 masses, one at 4.00 in the morning, one at 8.00 in the evening.  

Not surprising I opted for the evening 8 o'clock!!

So I turned up on the Monday evening, and to my surprise, the priest was wearing white not purple and we sang the Gloria.  I couldn't work out what mass he was saying.

By the next day, I had realised he was anticiapting the mass for the following day.  But we were definitely in white and singing the Gloria.

On seeing Fr Rico in the shopping mall, I asked about this and apparently, only here in the Philippines, for the special designated Simbang gabi masses (they are at a different time to "normal" weekday masses), they are regarded as Christmas masses, white is the colour and the Gloria is to be sung, this according to the local Ordo.  Except (oddly enough) the mass on Saturday night, which was the 4th Sunday of Advent Mass, in purple - no Gloria.  (So fulfilled Sunday obligation)

This tradition goes back almost 500 years.  It seems strange (to me) to have Christmas masses in Advent, with the readings from 17th to 24th December masses, but Christmas preface etc.etc, interspersed with Advent masses at normal time, but mostly people here concentrate on the Simbang gabi masses rather than any others, so I guess it doesn't phase them.

The church was packed to capacity and more for the first couple of masses.  Difficult to find a seat.  After that numbers went down a bit, but still the church is full.  The whole town of Cavinti seems to turn out.

The last couple of days we have had mass in the 2 village churches, Sunday afternoon in West Talaongan, yesterday in East Talaongan, so these were added in as designated Simbang gabi masses too.  After the mass everyone goes round wishing everyone else a Happy Christmas.  Part of this is due to the fact that the parish church is a long way away and for many people they simply cannot get there.  There is nothing like a bus service.  there are jeepneys, but on Christmas day I suspect they will be conspicuous by their absence, so the village mass is their one and only Christmas mass.

By the way, Merry Christmas to all my readers!