That’s the spirit!

DON’T know about you and your friends, but mine have actually, seriously started behaving and socializing like it’s Christmas already. Seriously. A good thing, too, this December-in-November, seeing as how bad the traffic will be with the shopping, the endless partying, delivering gifts, and visiting special people wherever, whenever.

After all, isn’t it more fun in the Philippines, especially at Christmas, before and after? Our Christmases are not only long, the days – and they need not be holidays – are marked with an intensity of emotion and motion. No one among our recent visitors from ASEAN said it, perhaps because they were overwhelmed by the over-the-top hospitality, but it must’ve been something to them, to be so embraced by a fiesta of love in the time of terrorism, nuclear-war clouds, humanitarian crises.

Christmas could, should arrive ahead of time, a time when peace will reign over revelry, joy will dominate fear and anxiety, a quiet moment in church will strengthen the universal hope for a kinder, gentler world.

This late in the day, don’t you feel the spirit is everywhere already, seriously? The lantern makers of Pampanga are gearing up for another spectacular show of lights and brilliant colors. In Baguio, every pine tree is beginning to look like a Christmas tree. In Tarlac, 47 groups – parishes, barangays, commercial and government entities, hotels and restaurants, even soldiers – are nearing the end of a contest to choose the most eloquent “belen” in the world.

And in Manila, center of the universe? For the first time in its history, finally Manila will have its own grand Christmas festival – in four sites. By the bay, at CCP, Fort Santiago, and Manila Cathedral for the dawn masses. There will be lanterns, parades, a gift market with proceeds committed to the children of Marawi, showbiz glitter, concerts and choirs, a display of living traditions galore.

The event is set for Dec. 15-17, morning to midnight. If DOT’s collaborators – Mina Gabor and Gus Lagman’s Automotive Assn. of the Philippines – can help it, Christmas by Manila Bay will be the start of something great, a tradition of Manila all its own.