Christmas Season

Ho ho ho!! It’s @lorene08 once again, back with a merry-exciting blog. Nothing too extra—just some snippets of how my Christmas season went.

As we all know, Christmas is one of the most awaited times of the year, other than New Year. It is because Christmas is the time wherein people come together to celebrate love, gratitude, and togetherness. It's a season filled with warm, simple joys, and memories worth keeping.

As for me and my family, yes, we celebrate Christmas, but unlike other families, we keep ours simple. No exchange of gifts—just a simple dinner, meaningful conversations, and time spent together.

Now here are a few moments from how I spent this Christmas and the little things that made it special.

Last December 18, 2025, my father’s older brother, whom I call “tatay,” invited me to go out with him and his son, my cousin. We went to our municipality’s night market, also known as “Pasko sa Pagbangon Night Market.” It is a place filled with many food stalls and a lot of people—some were having dinner, while others were strolling around alone, with friends, loved ones, or their families.

I was really excited because I had been waiting for this night. It had been a while since I last went out of the house, lol. When we arrived, the place was very crowded, with loud voices and music everywhere. We had a hard time finding a place to eat since most of the food stalls were already full. In the end, we decided to eat at the barbecue area in Lapyahan, where they sell grilled food.

It took almost an hour before we received our food, which was understandable because there were so many people. It was one of those times when I really saw how crowded Lapyahan could get, and the barbecue stalls were all full. The barbecue was really good, by the way—10/10!

After eating, I told my Tatay and cousin that I wanted to buy shawarma. However, I couldn’t find one at first. There actually was a stall, but it was near the entrance and exit area, and I only noticed it when we were already about to leave, lol 😭. So instead, I decided to buy a drink. I also treated my cousin since we don’t get to go out that often.

After that, we immediately went to our municipality’s complex because there was going to be a Christmas lights opening ceremony. We were in a hurry because they said it would start at 8:00 p.m., and we arrived almost five minutes late. Surprisingly, the ceremony started around 8:20 or 8:40 p.m. My legs were already hurting from standing for almost an hour, but I didn’t have a choice because I really wanted to watch the lighting ceremony.

After some speeches, band performances, and other presentations, the lighting of the Christmas tree finally happened. To be honest, I expected a bit more, but it was still okay. Maybe it was because I was standing at the wrong angle since I wasn’t really in front of the tree.

(the front view credits to Municipality of San Remigio official fb page🫶🏻)

By December 20, it was just a random day running errands because my mom asked me to. It was actually my first time going to Bogo alone. I was a little nervous at first, but it went better than I expected! Though I really had a hard time carrying all the orders my mom told me to pick up from Jollibee for my little sister’s Christmas party at school, it was still a great experience because it was another “first” for me, HAHAHA!

Now, let’s move on to my favorite part of this blog and probably my favorite part of Christmas, lol—the gifts! 🎁

Even though I love this part of Christmas, I don’t usually put myself in the mindset of expecting gifts since I know I’m old enough not to. But it still feels really nice, even if you just receive a small one 🫶🏻

The first gift I received before Christmas Eve was from someone who has an important place in my life. Although we don’t see each other often, it really meant a lot. I wasn’t the only one who got a gift—my little cousin and my grandmother also received some. My cousin and I both got food, and guys… it was so yummy, like super drool-worthy HAHAHA! My grandmother got a daster, which is her favorite.

That night, I honestly didn’t expect to receive a gift from my father, so I was really shocked when he gave me angpao. I thought it was only for his employees, but yes, I got one too—and I was so happy!

After Christmas, I also received a gift from my older cousin. Their family really gives gifts every Christmas, and I was so happy and surprised because I didn’t expect there to be money inside the pouch she gave me.

I even got a gift from my Tito’s girlfriend because she knew I love buying fake nails—and I really needed this one HAHAHA!

But gifts didn’t just come from my loved ones—I also gave myself one! I thought of treating myself this year since it was a tough one. HAHAHA. I ordered a lot of things, and some haven’t arrived yet, but one of the packages that did arrive wasn’t expensive, yet it felt really special…

I am so thankful for this year’s Christmas! Even though I didn’t really feel the Christmas spirit as strongly as I did for the past years, I still feel lucky, happy, and blessed to celebrate another Christmas with my family.

Slowly, I hope to be able to give gifts too—not just be the one receiving them, but also someone who can share joy with my loved ones. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to make others smile, and that’s what Christmas is really about: love, gratitude, and spreading happiness, no matter how big or small the gesture.

This year reminded me that Christmas isn’t just about decorations or presents—it’s about the little moments, the memories we make, and being with the people who matter most. Even if it’s simple, it can still feel really special💚