sT.wEedz... December 16 as an official announcement to start the Filipino version of the Christmas season. Look, the semantic is an evening mass held at dawn! It was obviously the Tagalogs who influenced their parishes to hold these nine Novenas at dawn to avoid yawning if the ceremony is held later in the evenings towards midnight. There are claims among the discrimination conscious history buffs that the landed elites translated Gabi to mean dark, as early mornings during December are indeed dark. Since the landed elites have to operate a farm, they prodded their workers to wake up early for the Novena devotions while they attend a latter Mass so as not to disturb their morning waking moments and farm operations. The fact is, Simbang Gabi was adapted from the Mexican Catholicism practiced during the Spanish colonial period and was extended by the Catholic churches during the American colonial period. It is historically termed Misa de Gallo which starts with a long musical prelude and culminates when the Parish Priest occupies the podium and chants a Gregorian tune to begin Mass at exactly 12:00 midnight and the attendees’ eyes were wet with tears not because of deep fervent prayers but from yawning. Why Mexican Catholicism? It should not be forgotten that the Philippines was ruled by Spain through the Viceroy of Mexico thus the Mexican syncretized religious practices was transferred to the Filipino indigenous psyche which shocked Jose Rizal then when he witnessed a totally different Catholicism in Mother Spain. Gallo, on the other hand, means rooster which connotes more of an early morning cock crowing which the more dynamic Filipino mind can easily joggle. Today, Misas de Gallo are rescheduled anticipated Masses held at 9:00 PM and gradually online and television Mass attendees are growing, too. Whatever schedule changes are made out of Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi as people and time changes, the Filipino Christmas season initially announced every December 16 is religious and church based – something which every Filipino should be conscious. Logically, a religious and church based Christmas is centered in Jesus otherwise those holiday stresses that goes along with it will not make sense. Christmas parties, gift giving, lights, lanterns, decorations are but unnecessary financial stresses and will not make sense if the Jesus-centered Christmas is done away in favor of the commercialized Hollywood Christmas at Malls or the expensive noisy firecracking hazard. Why sacrifice nine Novenas by disturbing sleeping hours or stay up late for the anticipated Mass if it is a penetensiya rather than bliss for Jesus?*
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 18:02:14 +0000
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