Ateneo starts tradition: Junk Christmas

Angels fashioned out of recycled wire and scrap metal. Life-size mannequins built from empty soda cans, bottles and soccer balls. A parol given life with used paper and old CDs. And a late national artist’s work revived in a Christmas tableau.

Starting a new Christmas tradition, the Ateneo de Manila University has mounted its first ever University Christmas Parks display this year in hopes of inspiring community spirit during the holiday celebrations.

Eight displays made out of recycled materials now dot the main roads of the Ateneo’s sprawling 83-hectare campus in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, each depicting beloved Filipino traditions—from the Simbang Gabi (midnight mass) to the traditional partaking of native desserts like bibingka and puto bumbong (native rice cakes).

“We thought it was a good idea to kind of start a new tradition. Since Father Jett (Jose Villarin) is our president and our theme was ‘Bagong Simula’ (new beginning), it’s a nice way, a nice opportunity to start a new tradition,” said Sonia Araneta, Ateneo’s communications chief.

Villarin, who assumed the Ateneo presidency in September, asked the Ateneo community, including its administrative staff and academic units, to create holiday displays on campus about a month after assuming office.

“Let’s try a new way to light up our campuses for Christmas this year. To strengthen our sense of belonging to one Ateneo community, let’s build Christmas parks,” he said in a memo to the university community on Oct. 18.

“We hope this attempt at a meaningful university tradition will help deepen our joy and sense of community this Christmas,” Villarin said.

Trademark blue and white

Only a month after, eight displays in Ateneo’s trademark blue and white—with a dash of holiday colors—debuted on the campus grounds, along the main Father Masterson Drive and University Road so that they straddle the grade school, high school and college areas.

Each occupying about 200 square meters of space, the displays are arranged in such a way that they seem to lead toward, and start from, the Church of the Gesu, an Ateneo landmark that even first-time visitors can easily find.

“It was belatedly done. We had only a month to prepare. So each unit, from grade school to high school was allotted space to put up Christmas parks. The centerpoint was the Church of the Gesu, so on Masterson and University Road we had the displays and they kind of led to the Gesu,” said Araneta, who was one of the school officials who coordinated the project.

Staff, parents and a number of students pitched in with materials and their time to complete the Christmas displays, each group aiming to capture Filipino Christmas themes.

“We had guidelines, like the parks should highlight Filipino Christmas traditions, the materials should be able to withstand the weather, should be recyclable, indigenous and Filipino. Each park had [an accompanying] write-up so that those who are not familiar with the traditions will learn about it,” Araneta said.

“The best part is putting together the parks with the staff, the community. You could really feel their enthusiasm,” she added.

Bernal stage set

A highlight of the Christmas Parks is the display nearest the Church of Gesu, which has reinstalled a portion of a stage set designed by the late Salvador Bernal, the national artist for theater design. Bernal, recognized as the “Father of Philippine Stage Design,” died in October from complications of diabetes.

Ateneo used the background that Bernal had designed for the staging of “Walang Sugat,” a zarzuela by writer Severino Reyes set during the Spanish colonial period.

The display has been attracting churchgoers, especially at night when Christmas lights add charm to the Bernal work.

“It’s simplicity … it’s an art piece. It’s something to be proud of,” Araneta said.

Another display features the tradition of visiting ninongs and ninangs (godparents), with the figures of the children and their grandparents formed out of paper and plastic.

Bamboo twigs were turned into a Christmas tree, hung with blue paper cutouts on which are written the wishes of its makers, from “genuine justice” and “world peace” to “more projects” and the iPad 2.

In front of Xavier Hall, where university executives hold office, administrative staff rendered their own versions of the parol, using old CDs and even live plants.

Grade schoolers, their parents and staff meanwhile created six displays showing how noche buena is celebrated among different groups of Filipinos, from migrant workers to soldiers to farmers and fishermen.

A display near the Ateneo gym depicts the tradition of parol-making. The male and female figures had old balls for heads, black-painted bottle caps for hair and soda cans for limbs.

Like a second home

Photos of the Christmas Parks are prominently displayed in the university’s website, reaching Ateneo alumni now spread around the world.

Araneta said the feedback from alumni has been “very encouraging.”

“They say that they miss Christmas at the Ateneo, even alumni abroad,” she said.

“There’s something about Christmas in your school, kind of like your second home. We want it to be a tradition in that people who see it will equate that good feeling with Ateneo,” said Araneta.

The Ateneo Christmas Parks may still have a long way to go before becoming as anticipated an event as its neighbor’s, the University of the Philippines’ colorful Lantern Parade. But the school is hoping to build it into one worth looking forward to, said Araneta.

“Next year, we’re thinking of bringing in the students because only a few participated this year. We started late and they were already preparing for the exams. Next year, we will start much earlier, with bigger and new ideas,” she said.

The Ateneo Christmas Parks will remain on display throughout the Christmas break.