Ej Lopez
THE longest Christmas celebration in the world without doubt can be found here in the Philippines. Although it “officially” starts in November, the Christmas spirit begins to dawn as early as September, the start of the “ber” months. We are not really sure what brought about the early celebration of the Christmas season here—how it started, who started it, in what era it started, and a lot of other questions that remain unanswered. All of these are queries that require no answer, considering the “catharsis” it affords us to express our local traditions and beliefs which reflect our religiosity. But beyond tradition and spirituality comes the commercial value that Christmas brings to our economic well-being.