THERE are a few things which are very Filipino in the world—like People Power, or lechon, or boxing champs now in the movies, or politicians found guilty of plunder possibly running again.

People Power is uniquely Filipino. I remember not far in time another country following after, but it didn’t work. The flowers civilians gave to soldiers didn’t draw compassion.
And what else is very Filipino?

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Who but OFWs would scream worldwide in protest in blogs, over the radio, in the newspapers if anyone of their kababayans anywhere in the world is humiliated in foreign countries?

But nothing else is more Filipino than the longest Christmas celebration in the world.

Just a few days ago came the “ber months,” with the Filipinos anticipating happy days in the year. If you looked up, the Internet in the last days of August, you would have sensed the delicious, giddy wait for the “ber” months in blog spots as the days filed into September, as though now in bouncing steps towards Christmas.

Of the “ber” that you and I know about, the rest of the world don’t have an inkling of what in the faraway islands of the Philippines it refers to.

Out in the world, there’s “Ber”, a Hebrew baby boy’s name, or the Indonesian phrase ber sama sama which means “togetherness.” And there are more “ber” names, like Berjuan, Ber Borochov, Ber Soroka. They comes in as acronyms, like bit error ratio (ber) in telecommunication, or Bureau for Economic Research (ber).

Only Pinoys have heard of the ber months. And we’re right up on alert for it in September.

Just a few days ago, I took a cab to the tune of the cab radio playing “they know that Santa’s on his way, he’s loaded with lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh…” On TV, there are now early Christmas shopping tips, and businesses are producing more in the “ber” months. People start buying gifts, spending more although carefully now, while commerce pushes happily for more sales, including airline seat sales for the usual homecoming.

The weather may not be very ideal in the “ber” months. There are memories of big typhoons. Last year, there was a forecast of a total of eight storms expected to come our way. The news went, “Pito hanggang walo pang bagyo ang malamang na maranasan ng bansa sa panahon ng ‘ber months.’ “

But this doesn’t stop the Filipino from rejoicing in anticipation of a holiday.

“Umpisa na ng ‘ber’ months. Yep, lalamig na ang simoy ng hangin.”

Christmas in September is over-blowing a season, but who cares to stop it? To us, the last four months of the year, with a blast in December, are ber-y special.

Still the Filipino’s optimism goes beyond the months of September, October, November, December. In May especially, there are the fiestas to anticipate from January on. There’s a joke about Bohol sagging a bit during summer for more than the usual number of visitors dropping in.

It is in happy moments like these that you see optimism in the Filipino.

Going far ahead of happy times is, perhaps, the Filipino way of taking care of himself. He just can’t wait for happy days to come

He is one of the top happiest people in Asia; he is hopeful although he takes a jibe at his own condition, even as he laughs at himself. But Social Weather Stations surveys see him up front in optimism. It takes so little to make him happy---Christmas, love songs, adobo.

Yes, happiness to the Filipino is the “ber” months.

(ecuizon@gmail.com)