RACHEL A.G. REYES
In Almanac for Manileños, one of his most incandescent works, published almost 40 years ago, Nick Joaquin described December as the month “where all men are at home.” From the numerous feast days celebrating marriage, parenthood, and domestic idyll, to great historical events and festive food, Nick Joaquin’s exploration of December, and what the Christmas season might mean to Filipinos, has retained its wistful, reflective, picturesque and sensuous originality.