Simbang Gabi
Today is the first day of Simbang Gabi or Misa De Gallo, which officially begins the Christmas celebrations in the Philippines. The Mass at Dawn is a nine-day novena to prepare for the birth of Christ. In our barangay (suburb, naks!), the mass is celebrated at 4:30 am, though in some places masses are held at night.
When I was growing up, I was so eager and excited to attend the Simbang Gabi especially during the first few days. And since I usually come along with my Ninang Sion (a cool manang - umm, ok spinster) we’re already at the church at 4am then we would sitat the front row (together with the other manangs, er, early birds). I just noticed that in the first few days, there would be lots of people attending the mass, really jampacked! Until the attendance dwindled a little during the middle of the 9-days.
Anyways, what I also waited for the Simbang Gabi during my childhood is the musiko (brass band) who plays Christmas music (including some novelty songs in their repertoir) an hour before the 4:30 am mass and walk around all the main streets of our suburb (naks again, barangay, LOLs) to wake up all those sleepy churchgoers (gosh, hardwork!). But now there’s no more musiko rounding the streets, since our new parish priest has stopped the tradition about 3 years ago, reasoning it’s just a waste of money. Since then, recorded bell chimes and Christmas carols replaced the band.
Oh well, but at least, one of my favorites are still here - bibingka and puto bumbong! Yum, yum! Although these foodies are
already available anytime of the year now (thanks to Sotero’s), it’s still different if you have them after Simbang Gabi. And the smell, whoa, then you’d eat them with the freshly boiled tea (now I wonder what leaves they use in there, the old lady in our suburb don’t use Lipton tea, but some leaves). Anyways, whatever kind of tea is that, it goes well with bibingka and puto bumbong - heavenly. Good thing, too, the panuluyan (Joseph and Mary’s journey to find Jesus’ birthplace) is still re-enacted before the midnight mass every December 24. Then you’d hear some people inside the church ask, “who’s the Mary, who’s the Joseph?” Until you also hear some remarks like, “ay, bakit yan? di maganda.” Hahaha.
The big question you might ask - did I finish any Simbang Gabi? Well, I could say I finished many simbang banig (sleeping mat)!hehe. Though I remember finishing whole Simbang Gabi til the 24th only twice - when I was in highschool and in 2000 with my hubby (though in the 8th day he got angry I woke him up that early-hehe).
Hay, Simbang Gabi -meaning Christmas is just next week!!! MALIGAYANG PASKO SA LAHAT!!!
Happy, happy Christmas,
that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days;
that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth;
that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away,
back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!
~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836
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Upon reading your blog i was transferred back to some TIME ZONE.. my youthful days in historic Cavite..I can relate to your story about SIMBANG GABI it brings back a lot of good old memories..Simbang gabi means that Christmas is just around the corner. At the wee hour in the morning church bells will start ringing calling all the faithful to get up and go to church..I can still smell the fresh bibingka, puto bumbong and the hot salabat..This what i miss most here in SEATTLE this time of the year.. the SIMBANG GABI it’s unique..truly pinoy na pinoy i think we are the only catholic nation practicing this hundred year old tradition!!!!!!Maligayang pasko at manigong bagong taon VICTORIA GIRL!!!!!!!
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thx for visiting my site! Paskong pinoy is the most festive in terms of tradition all over the world, diba? Happy holidays to you, too, klasmeyt!
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so depressed today because I waited for sooo long for this for me to attend simbang gabi and hopefully finish it within 9 successive days first day pa lang tigok na..hehehe..didn’t hear my alarm 5am nko nagising hay! simbang gabi… nice post
Peace’s last blog post..Who do We think we are?
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it`s so great to find this kind of site,pinoy talaga! i really missing simbang gabi,naalala ko tuloy ng bata pa ako laking simbahan kasi ako sa laguna but now am happily working here in saudi arabia with my wife and 3 months old beautiful daughter, MALIGAYAN PASKO PO SA LAHAT!!!!!MORE POWER PO!
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peace, don’t worry, may 8 days pa.hehe.i woke up early din coz the boys got up past 4 jus ko nagplay na sa bed ng cars. but didnt attend, too, can’t go with the kids for sure dami people.
Happy christmas!
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thanks, pepe for dropping by my site! At least pala your family is with you this xmas, bawas lungkot. unlike my hubby, alone sa australia.
maligayang pasko!
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That was nostalgia you wrote about. especially the memories of the brass band going around before the mass. it was my wake-up call to hurry up to serve mass at simbang gabi. today they are gone, may alarm clock na kasi at texts from friends to wake you up… thanks, maline.
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thanks for the visit..can you vote my Joydob blog here..http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com
thanks in advance…
joy’s last blog post..About me and anything tag
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thanks
joy’s last blog post..About me and anything tag
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my pleasure, kuya danny. i know it’s impractical nowadays to hire a brass band for the Simbang Gabi, but hearing their music make you get up and more excited to go to mass. Plus, iba ang feeling pag may musiko, as if talagang malapit na christmas kahit simple celebrations lang.
hay, nwei, happy christmas to you and the whole family!
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joy, thanks for the visit! I already added you in my blogroll and i voted for you! i hope you win!
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Good day maline and all,brass band i still remembered it truly inviting when you heard them @ 3 o`clock in the early morning and beside they were joyful too,as of me where sleep over @ kumbento just not to miss the mass coz i served as akolito before,but now something happening i wake up @ 3 o`clock coz my daughter wake up that time ako na ang nagpapatulog sa kanya kawawa naman kung si mrs pa and i watch mass on my satellite 2nd mass ko na rin ngayun.MERRY CHRISTMAS ULIT!!!!!!
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Until now I never completed a series of 9 days simbang gabi in my entire life. How I wish I could.
Wangbu’s last blog post..Emergency Relaxation through QWERTY
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nice blog ah… sayang naun lang ako nakapagcomment dito… and it seems that karamihan ng nagccoment dito ay readers ng philstar and psn… hehehe…
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hi,nlgen. thanks for dropping by.hope you visit here frequently. very thankful ako sa fellow readers ng PSN and Philstar coz many of them are my first readers here.
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buti pa kayo nakapagsimbang-gabi na… ako inuumaga sa blogging, di na makapagsimba. huhuhu!
merry xmas pa rin! god bless
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haaay, di pa rin ako nakasimbang gabi… good luck sa akin….
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hehehe. ako di pa din nakapag simbang gabi ngayon.hay, miss ko na nga. kaya nagsulat na lang tungkol sa simbang gabi.
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yup you are right i really love attending simbang gabi. i mean used to be. this is one thing i missed being a catholic.
Red’s last blog post..A Christmas Wish
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red, thanks again for the visit. kakamiss talaga simbang gabi and iba kasi ung effort talaga going to the church esp. if the mass is held early in the morning - only in the Philippines! Oops, but according to a research, it actually originated in Mexico. So I dunno if they still practice it there or dito na lang sa atin.
Maligayang pasko!
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Hello,musta po maline and all.eid mubarak sa lahat ng kaibigan natin muslim.3 days holidays dito kaya i miss your site maline sarap talaga kapag may kausap na mula sa atin.even i`m with my family here miss ko pa rin ang simbang gabi natin dyan.sa tv lang ako lagi for so many years now.hay 3 days kami ng daughter nagalagaan at si mrs busy sa pagpapaluluto para sa amin. MALIGYANG PASKO PO KABABAYAN!!!!!
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pepe,iba talaga ang psko dito sa atin, festive ang season, kahit naghihirap ang mga tao,pinipilit mairaos ng maayos ang pasko diba.
naku, lalo dyan sa saudi, wala naman atang pasko dyan.buti allowed naman ang mass sa satellite tv?
Thanks lagi sa punta dito sa site! Maligayang pasko din sa yo at buong pamilya!!!
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Thanks malinesky you really make us happy remembering our great hometown traditon. Simbang Gabi will be forever in our heart. Blessed Merry Christmas to you and your Family. God Bless. Beautifulandhappy forever.
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