FINDING FAMILIAR FILIPINO HOLIDAY TRADITIONS IN THE 908!

By Kathleen Mest

With distant memories of large Christmas Eve parties and midnight mass, I wanted to reacquaint myself with some of the Filipino holiday traditions that I grew up with. What I found were traditions based on food (lots of it), the parol and a reawakening of cultural identity.

The Feast

The big celebration including food, games, singing, and extended family occurs on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), prior to midnight mass. This is the last mass of Simbang Gabi, the 9-day series of Catholic night masses leading up to Christmas Day. My mouth waters thinking of the traditional Filipino dishes such as lechon (roast pig), pancit (noodles for long life), and bibingka (rice cake).

LOCAL SMALL BIZ EATERIES TO TRY SOME FILIPINO FOOD! 

Gemmae Bake Shop, 1356 W. Willow St, 90810 (new location in Bixby Knolls coming soon!)

Enjoy savory and sweet traditional dishes from their steam table and baked goods at this 40+ years old establishment. Must try: Lumpia Shanghai (eggroll), Pandesal (bread roll-try it filled!), Lechon, Pancit  

Foodologie Baked Goods, 195 Claremont Ave, 90803

Filipino influenced flavors in their amazing brownies and cookies. Must-try: Ube Brownie, Ube Delight Cookie - minis available!

San & Wolves Bakeshop, 3900 E. 4th St, 90814

Vegan Filipino baked goods, both savory and sweet options, are delicious! Must-try: Ube Bun, Bibingka

Ambitious Ales, 4019 Atlantic Ave, 90807

Offers Filipino-inspired adult beverages! Currently on tap (check before you go): Maganda Mo (calmansi cucumber), Jolli Beer (peach & mango), Barako Stout (Barako coffee beans from the Philippines).

The Parol

The most ubiquitous traditional holiday decoration is the parol. Derived from the Spanish word "farol" (lantern), the parol is a 5-pointed star-shaped lantern that symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem representing hope, light, and goodwill. 

Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan, Advisory Council member for KUBO Organizing Project, remembers, “When I was younger, dad would bring out the parol. It was hand-made, needed repairs every year and it was big as a hula hoop. He would hang it by the front window so that all could see it.” 

KUBO Organizing Project (KUBO OP) is a non-profit dedicated to bringing cultural enrichment and health equity to the community. Partnered with community space KUBO Long Beach (KUBO LB), they are excited to host the upcoming 8th Annual Long Beach Parol Lantern Festival.

INTERESTED IN BUYING OR MAKING YOUR OWN PAROL?

8th Annual Long Beach Parol Lantern Festival 

12/20, 2pm-8pm | Bixby Knolls Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave, 90807

Additional event hubs: KUBO LB, 3976 Atlantic Ave, 90807 and Ambitious Ales, 4019 Atlantic Ave, 90807

An annual, free holiday event to celebrate Filipino community and culture, featuring parol-making, food, local vendors and performances. Last year's performances featured Filipino folk dancers, and a demo by Pamana Kali (Filipino martial arts).This year’s theme is “Liwanag Ang Langit/Light The Way.” 

Parol Making Workshops 

KUBO LB, 3976 Atlantic Ave, 90807

• 11/15, 11/22, 11/29, 12/6: 11am-1pm

• 12/5, 6pm-9pm (during First Fridays)

908 Holiday Fair (at the Sports Basement), 2100 N. Bellflower Blvd, 90815

• 11/30, 12pm-5pm

The Culture

As I chat with Harmonie, we recognize a growing desire to (re)learn the culture and traditions of our childhood. There seems to be ”a collective embracing of culture” with numerous pop-ups and festivals showcasing all-things Filipino including Ube Fest, Liwanag Literary Fest, and Long Beach Filipino Festival. Most recently, we celebrated Filipino American History Month (October) with an event presented by the Long Beach Filipinx Action Network (LBFAN) in collaboration with the City of Long Beach.

Per their website, LBFAN is “a coalition of Filipino community leaders and nonprofit Filipino community-based organizations committed to serving the Filipino community in Long Beach.” LBFAN Creative Director, Elaine Bernal, shares, “For me, joining LBFAN has been about finding community, reconnecting with culture, grounding myself in our shared history, and figuring out what being Filipino really means for me.”

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TO LEARN ABOUT FILIPINO CULTURE:

• Visit lbfan.org for upcoming events

• Bel Canto Books (2106 E. 4th St, 90814) for independent, Filipinx authors

• Bret Harte Neighborhood Library (1595 W. Willow St, 90810) for the Filipino American Cultural Heritage Collection. Features 760+ collection of bilingual books and multimedia resources.