CHRISTMAS in the Philippines is not complete if there is no Noche Buena.
Aside from unwrapping Christmas gifts, we look forward to a sumptuous meal prepared by family members. This is the time of the year when family members showcase their specialties -- from the humble tocino to lechon bellies to desserts.
However, Noche Buena is more than the food that has been prepared. It is the time when family members are as complete as they can be.
Maan Doromal said the Christmas celebration is about the family.
“Family being together, sharing stories, expressing love and care for one another. Having a festive celebration or a bountiful Noche Buena is just like an icing to the cake. It will just make the gathering last longer and more hours to the celebration, but the essence of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ through love, laughter, and joy with family, is the ultimate value one gets during Noche Buena,” she said.
Tillet Viola, for her part, said Noche Buena is a time for families to come together and catch up with one another.
“During meals, it serves as a venue for intimate conversations, opening up, pouring your heart out, and catching up. It is where conversations that matter come out as both parties are given time to think and talk while eating,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gaelle Ansaldo said, “Noche Buena has always been a night of great stories. It’s when everyone in the family tells their own favorite tale of the holiday season. Our family has a tradition of saying grace and saying one thing we’re grateful for this year. We meet and laugh and reminisce over family dishes.”
Aside from being a time to spend with your families, Noche Buena is also a reminder to them of the true meaning of Christmas.
“More than a feast, it is a time of celebrating the value of Jesus’ birth in saving us from all of our sins plus the blessing of being with the family. Especially now that most of us are very mobile because of work, it is during this season that we catch up and be with the ones whom we love the most,” Dr. Christine Faith Avila, head of the Mass Communications Department of the Ateneo de Davao University, said.
Chalmer Mayuela said one of the greatest gifts one can receive this Christmas is Jesus Christ.
“I value truly this one. God took the trouble, left the glories in heaven, and came to earth for our salvation. May we remember that even in our darkest hour, God never stopped loving us. May we find that time accept and believe in Jesus. May families come to know Him and follow Him. For in Jesus alone there’s eternal life,” Mayuela said.