It's been 8 years since the last time I spent Christmas with family and relatives in the Philippines. I was so happy that I decided to go home and be with them. What will I share today is the 24th of December, the usual routine we're doing back home. I'm sure you'll agree with me that Food really touched one culture as I've mentioned in my food blog.
Anyways, photos will tell you more of the culture we have in my family:
The 24th of December, every house is busy cooking, baking and preparing for the Christmas Day. Still, we have to eat before that day right? I stayed overnight in one of the sisters' house and she cooked this typical morning breakfast for us. Yes, we, Filipinos usually eat rice in the morning :)
For morning snack, her neighbor just came from the province of Pangasinan, we call this "Tupig", made of glutinous rice with fresh grated coconut. It's not that sweet! Yes, we, Filipinos eat morning snacks :)
My sister asked me if she will cook lunch that day, I told her I'm stuffed and I don't feel like eating. But then, her co-teacher went to the house and brought some food. Here we are, having abundant food at 3pm. W had pancit (rice noodles), aroz valenciana (sticky rice with chicken), ube cake (yam cake), fruit salad + soda.
Some of our relatives from the province of Lucena arrived, can't believed it's been 10 years since the last time I saw them. Time to go back to my older sister's house. Here, we attended midnight mass at Clark Chapel at 10 pm. Before that, we had a small dinner, eating rice and fried fish and mix vegetables using our hands to eat.
We went to Holiday Inn, Clark just for pictorials. They have real snowman and huge ginger bread house, we had so much fun. Time to go home and prepared for food.
Some of them, can't wait fo12 am, and just took nap wherever is comfortable :) Guess what?
At 12, they heard the coins sound and all of us shouting, they don't need somebody to wake them up. It's raining with coins and paper bills :) This is just one of our family traditions...
Our simple get together meal known us Noche Buena, small prayer, hugging, and greetings. Not only the family and relatives, and everyone in the house. We had chicken noodle soup, ham, cheese ball, bread, and sweet glutinous rice (tikoy).
Then, the exchange gifts come this time...the time to reveal the whom is whom...
My nieces and nephews opening their Stockings, they have been doing this since they were little :)
That ends our first part of Christmas in the Family. The following day will be more meaningful :) I'm glad I came home!
