Parol - A Symbol Of Philippine Christmas
Published October 6th, 2008 in Etc Atbp.I’m excited for Christmas. It’s been a long while since I last celebrated and spent it with the whole family. For the past 8 years, this has brought me to tears…. sadness…. especially when I get to see a small lantern hanging or most commonly known as “parol”. Here’s an article about “parol” that I contributed to Paraiso Philippines Blog:
Christmas Season in the Philippines is not the one to miss. It is by far the most celebrated of all festivities in the country. As early as the BER months of September, October and November, Christmas music can be heard sporadically played in every busy streets of Metro Manila especially in the malls, department stores, radio stations or any business establishment. But one of the signs that Christmas is around the corner is the Parol or Christmas Lanterns. As early as December 1, people hang their lanterns already, but traditionally it starts at December 16 during which starts also the Misa de Gallos and the street caroling by groups or individual people of all ages, hopping from one house to another.
Please click here for the full article.
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Hi,
Good day! Just want to add some more information regarding x-mas symbol in Philippines.
Puto Bumbong is a part of Philippine cuisine that is based on rice. This is how to cook Puto Bumbong. For one hour, soak a kilo of glutinous (a special type of rice) and 125 grams of ordinary rice mixture in salted water. If you want you can add some food coloring. Dry the Puto Bumbong mixture overnight inside a clean flour sack. Squeeze out the excess water. The following morning, the Puto Bumbong mixture is ready for cooking.
Use a steamer to cook the Puto Bumbong mixture. Pour in a small measure of Puto Bumbong mixture in bamboo tubes (locally known as “bumbong”). Place the bamboo tubes in a steamer.
You’ll know when Puto Bumbong is cooked when steam rise out of the bamboo tubes. Push out the cooked Puto Bumbong from the bamboo tubes. Serve the cooked Puto Bumbong with grated coconut and sugar on top.
The other favorite Christmas delicacy is Bibingka or rice cakes. Here’s how to make them. Soak 250 grams of glutinous rice in water for six hours then grind it. Beat one egg. Have 25 grams goat milk’s cheese sliced into desired thickness (you can try other cheese if you like).
This is a original post from http://www.philippinesinsider.com/filipino-cuisine/recipes/enliven-christmas-with-puto-bumbong-and-bibingka/
Regards and Merry Xmas from Philippines Christmas Party Caterer