“Gathered in His Name: A Christmas Eve of Faith”

Happy ho-ho-holiday...Is everyone okay?

As we celebrate the birth of our God, Jesus Christ, there are a lot of traditional things in today's celebration, like bonding with family, making food for Noche Buena,exchanging gifts, and Night Worship or Night Mass.

There are certain nights of the year that simply feel different—nights charged with excitement, warmth, and it’s that sense of finding your place, finding where you fit, or simply the pull of where you're loved.. It’s a rare moment when the whole world seems to slow down and breathe together.

Noche Buena is far more than just Christmas Eve; it is arguably the most significant celebration of the holiday season, a vibrant tapestry woven from centuries of shared history, deep faith, and an unbreakable bond with family.

Whenever there are occasions for us, we have a habit of going to church, but today is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and our whole family went to church together, because my parents and I are working so sometimes we dont have enough time to go to church together. But no matter how busy we are with something, we should not waste time coming to him.

Before the mass began they turned off the light and I was mesmerized by the beauty inside, the only bring light inside was the christmas light at the upper corner of the church. Not also that they also that they eventually said what happened when Jesus christ born.

More Than Just Food

When it comes to food my parents specifically my mother love to make it simple but full of love. Like, we don't need to make it grant or somethings as long as we're together.

Every Christmas, my mom cooks some of our favorites like fried chicken and grilled milkfish. It's really delicious and I swear I would never ever get tired eating it, I'm so excited.

When mom told us what she'll cook for noche buena I specially requested the macaroni salad or rainbow salad, which is my absolutely favorite of all types of salads. Not only is it delicious, it is also very nutritious.

And mom's Pancit are a must-have for any special occasion because we Filipinos believe that Pancit can prolong life, so it's become a tradition to cook them when there is occasion.

After a while, the bread that mom had delivered arrived, which was a bit cake-like in style, hehe. And when I tasted it, it was really delicious, just a little sweet, its style was like leche flan.

At the stroke of midnight, every house became noisy. Outside, there were children running, playing, laughing as if there's no tomorrow. All i can say is that this is the true spirit of Christmas, everyone is happy, t forgiving when someone made mistake, and showing love and care to each other. Some of our neighbors shared the food they had prepared and we did the same—Thanks giving!!!

The true magic isn't found just in the food; it's in the laughter shared over stories, the joyful chaos of children playing, and for some, the midnight exchange of gifts. It's the midnight exchange of gifts. It's a night when households attempt to suspend everyday pressures and simply be together.
let's embrace the spirit of Noche Buena. Whether you are observing time-honored traditions or starting new ones. WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.