IT’S BEGINNING TO look a lot like Christmas…in September? Quite a peculiar notion, but whenever I see boys and girls selling lanterns on the street, I remember that as early as September, Filipinos seem to know what they want for Christmas, and all they want for Christmas is for you to join their Christmas parties. Christmas puns aside, this phenomenon isn’t so strange for Filipinos.  

But beyond the benevolent exchange of gifts and the warm embrace of family and friends, one might be curious to ask: what exactly is the reason why Filipinos celebrate Christmas months prior? 

Rooted in anticipation 

When asked why Filipinos start celebrating Christmas as early as September, Asst. Prof. Greg G. Borja III, M.B.A., the Chairperson of the Marketing Management Department, explains the curious phenomenon of “ber-months” which starts on, you called it, September! 

Filipinos just love the chase—marking their calendars whenever something grand is about to happen. They don’t cram when it comes to preparation for celebrating events that mean a lot to us, and Filipinos really love Christmas.  

As such, as early as September, Asst. Prof. Borja emphasized the “tediousness” of preparing and decorating for Christmas. Hence, “sabi nga nila, you must prepare early so that you can be more festive when Christmas comes,” Asst. Prof. Borja added. He further stressed how the start of September essentially means the start of a countdown, raring to get moving in eagerness for the special day. 

Sociologist Bro. Clifford Sorita echoes this sentiment in a Rappler article, where he highlighted the practicality behind the early start. “By knowing exactly how much time we have remaining to complete a task, instead of stressing about it, we will be able to better allocate our time. In fact, a 100-day countdown also acts as a secondary motivator and reinforces us Filipinos to complete our Christmas tasks before the big day,” Sorita explained.  

The early countdown isn’t just about festivity—it’s about planning, allocating time, and ensuring that no detail is missed when Christmas finally arrives. 
 
Signs of Christmas  

It’s not just about families getting ready for Christmas. The advent of ber-months also means that public spaces will really wish you a “Merry Christmas” as well—a far cry from a silent night as Prof. Marvin Reyes, Ph.D, the Prefect of Student Activities, shared the nature, and somewhat culture, of Filipinos, how “they would really look forward to Christmas, lalo na [kapag] kasabay mo pa diyan ‘yung music ni Jose Mari Chan,” booming in malls and radio stations all around. 

The extent of Filipinos’ love for Jose Mari Chan’s songs, particularly “Christmas in Our Hearts,” is not just out in the public. Such love has also wept social media platforms, a recurring trend that starts just before the month of September. Truly, as Asst. Prof. Borja emphasized, “if Western countries have Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You,” then the Philippines has Jose Mari Chan caroling using his famed song.” 

But besides that, stunning decorations in public areas, the return of Christmas-related films in streaming platforms, as well as staggering discounts from your favorite shops to name a few, has put the “merry” in Christmas as early as September! 

Families and Bedan community 

For a Catholic institution like San Beda University (SBU), the early celebrations reflect not just excitement for the holidays, but also the commitment to tradition and reflection of the Christian faith. SBU marks the season with special events and traditions, passed down from generation to generation like Christmas lighting and music videos—all the more reinforcing the values of faith and community.  

For the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Asst. Prof. Borja says that there are multiple events where they can manifest the Christmas spirit. “We do the usual thing that other departments are doing, which is the Christmas party.”  

“On our end, faculty members, meron kaming sariling Christmas party; and then meron kaming Christmas party din na Executive Board Officers lang; and then we have a particular Christmas party na kasama namin lahat ng officers, ‘yun ‘yung malakihan,” ensuring that no one gets left behind. 
 
Obscurity in Meaning 

However, based on accounts from Frank Simon Gales, the Internal Vice President of the Bedan Pastoral Ministry (BPM), “Christianity has little to do with this culture.” He further cited that, based on firsthand teachings from a priest “It is a secular engagement that is being perpetuated by the industries to create a phenomenon. It exists in our culture not as a period of homage and spiritual preparation but as a season of festivity and celebration.” 

In line with this is the Yuletide Season, the four weeks leading to the day itself, is the period of spiritual preparation for the Christians. Gales further emphasizes “the Church does not start to prepare nor celebrate Christmas before the start of Advent.” 

While he still deems the early celebration of Christmas to be a joyful anticipation of holiday festivities and unites us towards the joy of coming along together, “it compromises the real and actual matters that Jesus and the Church wants us to focus on.” 

He highlighted Jesus as “really the reason for this season, and that the surge of commercialization and secularization of Christmas takes away the image and message of Jesus.” Therefore, the meaning of an early Christmas may be rooted in commercialization, and “diverts the focus of people to only to the secular aspect of Christmas, and not the real activities that are being encouraged by the Church.” 

 In the contemporary world 

While there are two sides to a coin, both Asst. Prof. Greg Borja and Dr. Marvin Reyes, however, don’t see any downsides related to Filipinos celebrating Christmas early. 
For Asst. Prof. Borja, he instead saw an upside as “if you’re going to take a look at the economics perspective, it gets our social commerce going. It means that everyone is alive and there’s an interactivity of business and exchange.”  

Meanwhile, early Christmas for Dr. Marvin Reyes means early relief amidst all challenges. “I think wala sigurong negative kasi ayun nga Catholic school tayo practicing religious activity and Christmas is very festive, very positive kahit may problema, pag may Christmas atmosphere parang nababawasan, so I don’t see any negative,” he explained.  
 
While it’s hard to pinpoint the roots of an early Christmas celebration, it certainly reflects the anticipation of the Filipino people for a holiday marked by the utmost love and generosity. In the words of Asst. Prof. Borja, “knowing Filipino families, they really want to be together, naghahanda and all, lumalabas together, so as long as pag masaya ‘yung pamilya wala namang problema.” 

As the calendar flips to September, the air becomes charged with anticipation and joy—a collective feeling that transcends the hustle and bustle of daily life. The early onset of Christmas celebrations for the Filipino community is not merely a seasonal quirk but a heartfelt embrace of a time-honored tradition.  

For Bedans, it also revolves around religion and community. Christmas may start in September, but it’s true magic lies in the love we share and the joy we spread throughout the year.  

(With Dianne Radel Magallon)