I now understand what makes the Filipino go a little neurotic over Christmas. I’ve always thought that there had to be a logical reason why a tropical country’s department stores would start selling plastic pine trees as early as September. There has got to be a more plausible cause why homes, offices and once again, stores start blinking and shining and shimmering when winter hasn’t even started in other parts of the world. There HAS to be another reason other than economics.
But now I get it – this sudden epiphany coming after spending the larger part of this year’s season away from the Philippines. And like all awaited insights, the answer is very simple, really. Christmas gives the Filipino absolute permission to celebrate the very best of ourselves. Precy takes pains to share a large part of her 13th month pay with friends and relatives. Maria rushes off from her office, again and again, to be the gracious gift-giver who shops for a specific gift that will make her numerous and variously aged “inaanak” smile. Jose will fill his balikbayan box to groaning, in spite of the warning on the billing sheet that “pregnant boxes will be charged extra”. Jun will quickly and cheerfully finish everything his British boss tells him because in just a week’s time, he will be home, laden with presents for Junior, for mama, papa and for the loving wife. In a week’s time, their families, yours and mine – will be gathered around the table, giving thanks, enjoying the happy melee and telling themselves – yes, it was all worth it.
And so it remains true. Christmas is best when celebrated in this country because Christmas in the Philippines is one of the reasons that still make this country beautiful. Year after year, in spite of the querulous Gross Domestic Product, the slipshod transitions in leadership, the unpredictable gas prices and mercurial inflation rate – Precy, Maria, Jose and Jun will still give, they will still come home and they will still hope. Christmas is when the Filipino spirit resiliently shines through and makes a statement. Dammit, I WILL celebrate.
And so, maybe it is a good time for the Filipino to receive naman. I wish him two things. First, I wish him forgiveness. It is not the forgiveness of the fairy tale kind, the one that magically blinks away the ravages of corruption, injustice and crime to happy Telenovela-land. It is of the more personal kind. I wish that the Filipino forgives himself for allowing the less than favorable treatment and for believing that that this is as good as it gets. When he lets go of the “less than” mindset – “okay lang” will cease to be his default response. When he treats himself a little better, he will demand that his government, his neighbours and the world treat him better as well.
I also wish that there are certain parts of him that don’t change. May he never change his absolute love for the family, that filial love that translates to seeing God as father and Mary as Mama Mary. May he never lose that self-deprecating humour that belly laugh at adversity and uncertainty. May he never cease to be giving and kind.
Merry Christmas, beloved Filipino. May you finally have the Christmas you deserve.