A “ber”-y special time
Photo by Stitch
September just sneaked in on us and we’re now in the first “ber” month of the year, which usually means one thing for us Pinoys – Christmas is near! To be exact, from the time I make this post, it’s exactly 111 days before Christmas. I don’t really know why but there’s something about Pinoys wanting to celebrate Christmas early and seeing the “Ber” months as the start of the Christmas countdown.
Maybe that’s why Choco Crunchies is Miguel asked the Answers community when the official start of the Christmas season here in our country – is it September 1 or December 16? Maej said that technically, according to the Catholic Church the Christmas season starts on the Advent which is December 16, but knowing Pinoys, he admits that as early as September 1, we start looking forward to Pasko.
Allan Y asked maybe we should capitalize on this by promoting our country as the Christmas destination of the world and maybe even try to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest Christmas season in the world. Windblown agrees completely and sees it helping our tourism industry.
In case you’re wondering what the suffix “ber” means, considering 4 of our months end with it, Rock shandy asked it already and Bruhaha shared the best answer – it is widely thought that most of the names of the months originally ended with “ber”, a form of the word for “month”. And because we’re in the first “ber” month, Roxy <3 wants to know what we love most about the “Ber” months. Why not share to her what makes the last four months of the year so special for you.
Whatever reason it may be, for all of us Pinoys, the Ber months mean Christmas is around the corner, and it certainly something to look forward to. Welcome to September everyone, looking forward to October, November and especially December!
personally i don’t celebrate christmas, it’s not a celebration, for TRUE christians who believes in Jesus, because he was not born in december.During the month of december in jerusalem if jesus was born in a stable which is not a closed in place he cannot survive with the temperature of below zero he will die of hypothermy condition being a child, besides in the bible says when he was born people were outside their houses like the shepherds whose sheperding his lambs and even pass the night outside of his house.
the other proof that this celebration is false, christmas is originated from the north of europe under the feast of solstice,christmas is adopted by catholics on the pretext of christ jesus name. norway celebrate solstice for the good harvest of their country, and it is during the 25th of december, the pagan belief like the so called christianism but adopted this celebration to add to their no ending feasts and at the same time good for commercial benefits, europe benefitted a lot of this, from fashions to food galore.
christmas celebration founded only 150 years and maybe more.
through the influence of the americans this event easily propagated through TV’s and tourist who travels a lot.
christmas now a days many thinks is europe it’s a commercial purpose,from the point of view of commerce as well as the vatican, because during this period many followers of the popes gives a lot of donations to the point that they empty their bank account.pitiful for the people especially poor ones who cannot even afford to buy their foods, while the vatican is enjoying their wealth with good food,expensive wines, jewelries for the mass; bulletproof car and best soldiers, well paid guards for his expensive life because he believes he is the GOD.
Christmas is truly a thanksgiving celebration because it reminds us that a Saviour was born to redeem the whole world. I don’t care if it is not the exact date of Christ’s birth.
For me, what matters most is that the whole world is being reminded of God’s great love that He sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and that’s the only reason why there is Christmas.
bbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr…..
the most awaited months in the Philippines . .
Why? Because it means, christmas is just around the corner…
Million of christmas parties, gifts, vacation…
It means “13th month fee” is nearly at hand, salary bonus, shopping, family and class reunions…
But let us not forget the REAL CELEBRANT :
The KING OF KINGS
and the LORD OF LORDS: J E S U S CHRIST.
IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY
Yes! I just heard Christmas songs being played on GMA’s morning tv show about two days ago. I realized that the countdown to Christmas has begun. We Filipinos will be wrapped up again in the preparations for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. Everything else would be forgotten in the midst of the preparation, anticipation and the celebration. Would the Abbu Sayyaf and the MILF respect the celebration of the Christmas season for our brothers and sisters in Mindanao? Would we find peace and happiness in celebrating Christmas in the midst of increased poverty, unstable economy, unrest, graft and corruption, and misunderstandings? I hope so!
so if i understood your comments, it is not for jesus birthday that you are celebrating,it’s for your stomach and parties. why there’s no other parties somewhere but during december? in any case jesus didn’t ask his birthday to be celebrated but his death, read the book of matthew. birthdays is pagan celebrations, thanks to this celebration that john baptist got his head chop off by herod through the request of salome on the influence of her mother.herodias. salome is having her birthday and herod told her that on that day he will give her whatever request she might wish and her mother ordered her for the head of john just because he exposed her that she’s living an immoral life, so to get rid of him and embarrasment she told the daughter what to ask herod the day of her birthday.
jesus was aware the significant of birthdays since he knows the inclination of men that’s why he is not concern of his birthday but his death to be remembered.the day a person was born he/ she is not yet accountable because he/she didn’t yet do things to be accountable of in the eyes of god or to we start accomplishing things , we start to have value like jesus did. before then we are just but human like everybody. jesus commanded his followers to celebrate his death not the day he was born.
@dessie lopez - Hi dessie, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I respect your belief and I understand where you’re coming from, the Bible indeed doesn’t endorse the celebration of Christ’s birth. However, neither does it prohibit it. The world today may celebrate Christmas from a commercial and materialistic point of view but it’s up to us to show them that the true meaning of Christmas is the fact that God the Father sent His son to be born in this world and to die in the Cross to be the Savior of mankind.
@Linger altrecha - I totally agree Linger.:) The true celebration of Christmas is having that kind of spirit and attitude - thanksgiving to God and to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks for sharing this.
@Star Papio - True, true! Christmas can mean so many things but it’s important not to be distracted with the gifts but rather focus on the Celebrant of the event.
Thanks Star!
@Artemis - It’s never too late to hope for peace and happiness Artemis. Thanks for your thought-provoking observations.
Okay guys, let’s just face it that though most of us celebrate Christmas, there are others who don’t and believes that Christmas is a pagan practice. In the Bible, there was no exact date of Jesus’ birth. It was only stated that HE was born in a cold month, that was all. The issue at hand is not the real date of our Savior’s birth but OUR CELEBRATION of HIS BIRTH. Historically speaking, December 25 has got nothing to do with Christ’s birth at all but then again, who really knows? try reading this link, it’s helpful…
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/why-is-christmas-on-dec-25
As for myself, our church discourages us to celebrate Christmas but it’s become a part of long-time tradition that it was never implemented. We never had a Christmas party nor a single Christmas lantern at church but we celebrate it nonetheless. I mean, we gather at church somewhere in the month of December and call it a thanksgiving. But Christmas is always Christmas at home. It’s a time where everybody is present and share the JOY of the season.
really guys, what matters most is our commemoration and our grateful recognition of God’s great love for us that HE GAVE HIS SON to be with us, to cleanse us from our sins and restore our relationship with HIM.
Merry Christmas to all! =)