NINE days prior to Christmas Day, all over the Philippines, the Simbang Gabi or the Dawn Mass is celebrated. This is a special dispensation from Rome and only practiced in the Philippines.
Called by many names, it is also called the Misa de Aguinaldo (Aguinaldo means gift which, again, is particular to Christmas.). By waking up early in the morning, this is the faithful’s “Aguinaldo” to Our Lord for the His precious gift of giving us Jesus, Our Savior.
Misa de Gallo (Spanish for Rooster’s Mass) is another term for these Dawn Masses. In the days of yore and in the absence of clocks, farmers and fishermen used roosters to tell time. On the first crow of the rooster, working men would drop by the church before doing the day’s work to ask God for a good harvest. It was Pope Sixtus V who ordered that Mass be offered before sunrise so that the workers can be in the fields and the shores after the celebration.
The Simbang Gabi started in Mexico in 1587 when Fray Diego de Soria, an Augustinian monk, asked permission from the Pope to hold Mass outdoors because the church could not accommodate the number of people who came for the Christmas service.
Later, Pope Sixtus V ruled that in the Philippines, pre-Christmas Dawn Masses would be held starting the 16th of December. The decree was in keeping with the nine-day festivals of Filipinos to celebrate special occasions. A further accommodation was the Masses moved to four o’clock in the morning so that the farmers and fishermen could be present with their families to celebrate Mass for a good harvest.
In the olden times, the pre-Dawn Masses were announced by the ringing of church bells. In the rural areas, an hour before the Mass, a brass band would go around town playing Christmas music. Some folk tales say that priests would go knocking on doors to wake up the faithful to attend the Misa de Gallo. These nine-day Dawn Masses are actually Novena Masses to the Blessed Virgin Mother and have a special liturgy.
Simbang Gabi is one of the legacies of faith that the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries gave the Philippines alongside with praying the Angelus, the family rosary in the evenings, blessing the children with the sign of the cross, and many more as part of their evangelization approach. The methodology was experiential because it involved church, family and the community making it an integral part of the lives of the natives.
The Simbang Gabi was also introduced to teach the people the meaning of Christmas and how to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. It also catechized the people on the meaning of the Mass. Rich and poor alike, men and women, children and elderly came together as a community waiting for the coming of the Lord and rejoicing in the promise of the Messiah.
Since the Masses were at dawn and dark, the flickering candles in star-shaped parol (Filipino lanterns) gave light to paths on the way to the church. Parol comes from the Spanish word “farol” meaning “lantern.” Originally, the farol can be found in the Mexica piñata which came to Spain from Italy in the 1300s, spread to Mexico and finally came to the Philippines with the Spanish conquest.
The parol, aside from lighting one’s way to the Simbang Gabi, was also intended as one’s offering to glorify God. After the Mass, instead of stowing the lantern, they would proudly hang it in their windows.
Illuminated with candles or oil, the villagers would walk around and appreciate the different and nicest designs. Friendly competitions were encouraged by the church and the Spanish friars offered incentives for those who invested time and money to make the best parol as a devotional offering to Jesus.
The design of the parol symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Kings to Jesus. It likewise represents the victory of light over darkness and the Filipinos hope and goodwill during the Christmas season.
Centuries have passed but the tradition of the Simbang Gabi has not wavered. It may have changed in some ways like some Masses are at 4:30 a.m. or 5 a.m. and some in the evenings. But the celebration is as solid as it was when first introduced.
Filipinos have become citizens of the world and wherever they are, they bring their treasured traditions with them. The Simbang Gabi is a privilege Mass granted only to the Philippines, however, where there is a Filipino community; the Simbang Gabi is a preserved activity. This is the strong barometer of the depth of Catholicism in the hearts of Filipinos.
Simbang Gabi is a great source of spiritual nourishment to all who prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ whether here or abroad. Praise God for this enriching tradition!