Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 04/06) - Lighting a candle for Christmas at his dining room table in Yellowknife, Pat Robles recalls growing up and celebrating the season in his Philippines homeland.

"At Christmas time, we would harvest the rice in the fields," Robles said.

The Philippines is known as having the longest calendared Christmas season.

Christmas carols can be heard wafting from homes as early as October, while no one thinks of taking decorations down before Jan. 6 - the Feast of the Three Kings.

The official season begins nine days before Christmas with misa de gallo - a pre-dawn mass in the predominately Roman Catholic Asian nation, Robles said.

"It begins at the crack of dawn, at 4 a.m.

"It is inescapable, even for sleepy heads to attend the holy mass for their Novena."

But at home, no sparkling Christmas pine would grace the family living room.

"We don't have such Christmas trees at all," he laughed, referring to the dry southern climate and the fact that chopping down trees was a big "no-no" in the country.

But in place of the evergreen, Robles said twig trees, covered in cotton balls are the focal point of the decorations.

Lanterns or parols, too, were popular decorative items for the season, he said.

"You have the small stars, big stars and the Chinese lanterns.

"We would usually make the stars," he said.

As for Christmas dinner, Robles recalls his parents preparing a feast of fish or ox tail with rice.

"It was a speciality," he said.

And after each mass, Robles said church vendors could be seen offering puto bumbong, bibingka and the bite-sized puto - small delicacies enjoyed by the nation.

"It was cooked with charcoal or firewood," he said.

On Christmas morning, he recalls the stockings and getting one of his favourite toys - a wooden ambulance. Visiting one's godparents was also a tradition, complemented with an exchange of gifts. Those Christmas memories still remain strong after 36 years, Robles said.

Moving to the cold northern climate did not dampen the Christmas spirit of Robles.

"I would go out with my friends and celebrate," he said.

And, beginning on Dec. 16, Robles said his wife planned to give each other one present each day until Dec. 25.

As president of the Yellowknife Philippines Cultural Association, which has about 500 members, Robles said he helps ensure everyone dresses in their finest apparel and celebrates and enjoys the Christmas season, despite the fact that many have two or three jobs to attend to.

"We had a party on Dec. 17 at Northern United Place and we have Filipino and Western music. We have egg rolls, noodles and many salads and other dishes."