The Philippine Star

CELEBRATE THE ‘TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS’ AT CENTRAL SQUARE

- MARBBIE TAGABUCBA

Christmas is about presence, not just presents — it’s about spending quality time, catching up with each other’s lives, and among families, passing on traditions from one generation to the next — but you gotta admit, the presents do help us get our messages of love and thanksgivi­ng across.

With our hectic schedules just about to get more packed as the holidays roll in, Central Square offers to hit two birds with one stone as it fills every December weekend before Christmas Day with activities that are sure to spark the same jolly cheer anew in your heart plus promos and shopping deals, so it’s a breeze to tick names off your to-gift list — plus something for you, too. I’ll get to that later. For the children in your life, it’ll be a lovely memory they’ll cherish even when they grow up.

Mark your calendars: Every 2:30 to 4 p.m., on Dec. 2, the kids can discover the joy of gift-giving and learn to put their personal touch on presents during a gift-wrapping workshop. On Dec. 9, it’s a gingerbrea­d and cookie-decorating workshop, the better to fill your home with its sweet aromas. Come Dec. 16, kids can learn how to deck the halls and trim the trees with their very own Christmas stockings. On Dec. 23, they can gather round the Christmas tree for some storytelli­ng.

From 4:30 to 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday until Dec. 24, Hamley’s well-loved characters will parade around Central Square. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., they can talk to Santa — whether they’ve been naughty or nice — in Santa’s corner. By 7:30 p.m., group chorales will fill the mall with nostalgic Christmas carols.

For the real Santas — that’s you, moms, dads, ninongs and ninangs! — using your Philippine-issued MasterCard not only makes shopping more convenient. You can get a head start now and increase your chances until Jan. 15, 2018.

There are two promos. With “Swipe to travel,” you can be one of three winners to get SSI Purple gift cards worth P200,000, a Business Class flight to London, Paris or Singapore via Singapore Airlines, luxury accommodat­ions for two, a private and curated tour, a profession­al makeover, and photo shoots around the scenic sites of your destinatio­n. Earn one raffle entry for every single receipt purchase worth P30,000 from participat­ing brands Alexander McQueen, Cartier, Charriol, Givenchy, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Salvatore Ferragamo, to name a few.

The second promo, “Swipe to shop,” is all about rewards. Ten lucky shoppers can win SSI Purple Gift Cards loaded with up to P500,000 credits. Consolatio­n prizes include two SSI Purple Gift Cards with P100,000 credits, two with P75,000 credits, and five with P30,000 credits. Earn one raffle entry for every single receipt purchase worth P3,000 from beauty brands like Beauty Bar and Lush, contempora­ry fashion factories like Kate Spade, Marks & Spencer, Max & Co., Michael Kors, Samsonite, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zara, or food staples SaladStop!, TWG Tea, among others.

***

Central Square is at 5th Avenue corner 30th Street, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Follow @ centralsqu­areph on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

 ??  ?? Central Square brings in more cheer for the holidays with “Traditions of Christmas” every Saturday and Sunday of December until Christmas Eve.
Central Square brings in more cheer for the holidays with “Traditions of Christmas” every Saturday and Sunday of December until Christmas Eve.
 ??  ?? Santa is flanked by SSI Group president Anton Huang (right), SSI Group EVP Elizabeth Quiambao (left), MasterCard Philippine­s director of account management Jo-Ann Camacho and Central Square’s “Traditions of Christmas” merrymaker­s.
Santa is flanked by SSI Group president Anton Huang (right), SSI Group EVP Elizabeth Quiambao (left), MasterCard Philippine­s director of account management Jo-Ann Camacho and Central Square’s “Traditions of Christmas” merrymaker­s.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Marks & Spencer’s village for cookies and treats
Marks & Spencer’s village for cookies and treats
 ??  ?? SSI’s Catherine Huang with Marks & Spencer’s Percy Pig
SSI’s Catherine Huang with Marks & Spencer’s Percy Pig
 ??  ?? Hamley’s finest toys
Hamley’s finest toys
 ??  ?? Tie Me Up Buttercup’s gift-wrapping station
Tie Me Up Buttercup’s gift-wrapping station
 ??  ?? A wide selection of holiday delights at Rustan’s Marketplac­e.
A wide selection of holiday delights at Rustan’s Marketplac­e.
 ??  ?? SSI Group president Anton Huang with Santa Claus, who gets his own corner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday of December until Christmas Day.
SSI Group president Anton Huang with Santa Claus, who gets his own corner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday of December until Christmas Day.
 ??  ?? A beautiful rendition of Christmas carols by Alay Sa May Mga Kapansanan Associatio­n Inc. (A.K.A.I.)
A beautiful rendition of Christmas carols by Alay Sa May Mga Kapansanan Associatio­n Inc. (A.K.A.I.)

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