Christmas has passed and I am still writing a post about it. I guess I am still reeling with the Christmas I never get to celebrate because I was so sick this year, I actually slept through Christmas eve.

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Back home where my parents and siblings live, the countdown to Christmas starts as early as September.Christmas in the Philippines is the longest time of the year. It begins in September.

Houses of excited merry makers are decorated with Christmas ornaments and office Christmas parties are already planned ahead. Carolers arrange Christmas carols and choirs practice yuletide songs. In the malls, the Christmas music is played loud, though I can never understand why the song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” is played so often. Usually sweat is running down my back as I hear it played. I suppose they play it because there, one can only dream about it.

My friends in Japan (where I lived for more than 10 years) are baffled why we celebrate Christmas like it is main big event. In Japan, December 25 is a quiet day for lovers. Time for candlelit dinner dates, ski trips and other private getaways. On the contrary, in the country where I was born, Christmas is taught as the time for families. The season for love and to give love, a season for forgiveness, a season for togetherness. In some ways Christmas is like Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, and Christmas all together.

My friends said they could not imagine Christmas in summer. Christmas without snow, without snowman on the hill and no big pine trees. But Christmas without snow is still Christmas, with all the essence of it. Even if Santa had to change costumes when visiting the Philippines (or Dubai, where I am now for that matter) from heavy winter coats to sleeveless shirt and shorts (or maybe come naked), he still do visit, in the hearts of innocent young children like I was before.

Whoever gave most people the idea that Christmas is only made up of snow and cold, winter nights spent in front of the fireplace while waiting for Santa?

Christmas is so partial to the countries in the northern part of the globe. It may be the American colonization in the Philippines for more than 20 years that brought the idea of a ‘winter, white Christmas’ and we normally embrace it every year without questions asked. Taking the trouble to shred white foams to pieces to resemble snow, tear gold and silver foil papers to resemble icicles.

Our snowman may be made of Styrofoams, our candy canes melting in the sun, Frosty dying in the near 30 degree C temperature and we could not sing let it snow, let it snow without working on our imagination, but our Christmas is no less than heart-warming and joyous than that of the northern hemisphere.

The babe was thrilled to see so many gifts under the tree. She had been prodding me to open every one of them every single day since the gifts were placed there. Thankfully, she is no longer a baby and can fully understand now the meaning of the word wait.

Yesterday was her big day, we finally opened all the presents much to her delight. We opened a couple of presents on the 23rd, her birthday and then on Christmas morning and the rest we opened yesterday since I am only home on Fridays. I know, my job schedule sucks.

I feel strange having a get together at home and having a party after Christmas. It’s just so different if only we were able to do the festivities on the actual Christmas day. But now is not the time to complain as we intend to stay here in Dubai for at least 5 years so chances are, we will be celebrating Christmas at an ‘off date’ again next year and the next.