Sunday Stealing: Lola's Holiday Meme

Merry Christmas to all my co-thieves out there. The questions today in Sunday Stealing sound familiar.  At first I thought I've encountered and answered the questions already. Well, I am not mistaken because I did answer it on Monday Mayhem. So, here are my answers.

Here it goes:

1. What is your favorite holiday show/animated show?

_____blank_______

2. What holiday character do you think you're most like?

3. What holiday character does your spouse think you're most like?

Same with the answer no. 2. He knows I like to give as long as I have something to give. 

4. Favorite Christmas/holiday song?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

5. Most hated Christmas/holiday song?

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

6. If you have an all holiday music radio station when do you start listening to it?

Around September

7. If you have an all holiday music radio station do you love it or hate it?

I love it. It's nice listening to your favorite Christmas music. It brings back childhood memories.

8. Have you ever wrapped yourself as a Christmas/holiday present? Come on...you can tell!

Nope...hahaha..i might do this this Christmas.

9. Who is Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer's father?

Donner

10. Do you drive your neighborhood or one near you at night to look at other people's holiday decorations?

Nope. I go out from the house at night myself and see how beautiful the decorations are to feel the spirit of Christmas.

11. When you see a heavily decorated house do you think, 'oh that's lovely'? Or do you think, 'oh criminy, that looks like Christmas threw up all over their lawn'?

It's lovely. I will count on their effort. That's how happy they are to welcome Jesus in the world.

12. Are you counting the days to Christmas/Holidays with excited anticipation or dread?

With lots and lots of excitement. 

13. When was the last time you had your photo taken with Santa? Did you sit on his lap?

I never sit Santa's lap. We don't have it here but I was able to kiss baby Jesus.  Every Christmas, the Church people go house to house bringing baby Jesus (stone crafted) on a manger-like box. 

14. Do you make a Christmas/Holiday list for your spouse or significant other or do you rely on them to pick your gift(s) without a clue from you?

It's up to them on what they want/can give me. 

15. When do you put up your tree and/or menorah/and or anything else?

I just put my tree up last night but no decorations yet. 

16. If tree- Real or fake?

Fake.

17. When do you take your tree/decorations down?

January 7 after the festival of the three kings. 

18. Do you shop the day after Christmas sales? What do you shop for?

If i feel like it.

19. Is your work/office having a holiday party this year? Will you attend?

Not working yet...

20. Do you have your New Year's Eve Plans set yet?

Yes.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. No, we will NOT held my birthday in my parents' house.
2. We've spent lots of sumptuous meals at the old kitchen table.
3. I watched the steam rising from the hot cup of coffee (or tea) and thought: I forgot to see the hot spring again that was recently discovered somewhere in my hometown.
4. Despite the global crisis and calamities, Christmas is still going to be okay.
5. I'll take it when you leave it.
6. Life is beautiful at least from my point of view.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finish blog posts that need to be posted, tomorrow my plans include blog and hop, and Sunday, I want to do a house general cleaning!

First Commenter

Misa De Gallo or Simbang Gabi (Night Mass)

I went to visit my parents and siblings yesterday and went to Church for Misa de Gallo or Night Mass with my mother.  The rest of our family members were not able to attend for some reason. I am so fond of Misa de Gallo even when I was a child.  I love the part when the mass is done because, in my hometown, it is when we eat the food preparation in the church.  Everday, the priest will announce the barangays or we call it "arks" to prepare foods for the churchgoers after mass. I know some places don't do it but we do.

For you to understand what Misa de Gallo is, here is a pasted note from wikipedia. 

Traditionally, Christmas Day in the Philippines is ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on December 16. Known as the Misa de Gallo (Roosters Mass) in the traditional Spanish and in Filipino as Simbang Gabi, or "Night Mass", this novena of Masses is the most important Filipino Christmas tradition.

These nine dawn Masses are also considered as a Novena by the Catholic and Aglipayan faithfuls. This refers to the Roman Catholic and Aglipayan practice of performing nine days of private or public devotion to obtain special graces.

In some parishes, the Simbang Gabi begins as early as four o'clock in the morning. Going to mass this early for nine consecutive days is meant to show the churchgoer's devotion and faith as well as to heighten anticipation for the Nativity of Jesus. In traditional Filipino belief, however, completing the novena is also supposed to mean that God would grant the devotee's special wish or favor.

After hearing Mass, Filipino families partake of traditional Philippine Christmastime delicacies, either during breakfast at home or immediately outside the church, where they are sold. Vendors offer a wealth of native delicacies, including bibingka (rice flour and egg based cake, cooked using coals on top of and under the pastry), puto bumbong (a purple sticky rice delicacy which is steamed in bamboo tubes, with brown sugar and shredded dried coconut meat served as condiments), salabat (hot ginger tea) and chokolate (thick Spanish cocoa). In some Aglipayan churches, after the mass everybody is invited to partake the "painit" (after mass snacks of delicacies with hot coffee or tsokolate) at the house of the sponsor of the mass.

In recent times, even the Evangelical Christians, and other independent Christian Churches have started holding services in the early mornings like the ones that are being done by the Catholics and some Mainline Protestant

Merry Christmas to all!

Couple’s Corner: Shopping Galore

Shopping is women’s favorite moment. It is when we, women use our knowledge in buying stuffs and at the same time use the knowledge in budgeting. It’s when we use our charm to the vendors to get discounts and save some pennies for another item.

I do love shopping and love window shopping a lot. Before I met Gary, I used to get items on sale it may be  foods or clothing (except for stuffs that I really, really like to have - Shoes and Bags) and getting more discounts from discounted stuffs. Thrifty, they call it. Well, I had not much money to buy stuffs I really wanted. With my meager salary, I rather use it all for foods. Living away from my family at 17 to find luck in a place I’ve never been, oh yeah, I got to know how to use my salary wisely or else, I’ll starve to death.

When I met Gary, I can say I was darn gracious with our first meeting because you know; first meeting is when men try to please girls. I sensed that he was trying to please me by being too generous to the extent of spoiling me. He thought I was “that kind” of girl who can easily be pleased with expensive things. Well, he was just a little bit right because for me, it’s not wise to buy expensive stuffs most of the time esp. if only for a purpose of bragging it. I mean it is ok to buy expensive stuffs if (1) you have lots of excess money in the world and you do not know where else you can use it, (2) it is useful and with good purpose. As for me, I buy stuffs from the heart; it may not be expensive but if I like it and it is useful enough, why not get it?

There was one time, hubby and I went shopping. He dragged me to this Levi’s store and asked me to take what I want. When I looked at the pants and shirts in there, I sensed no style at all other than the “glory of the Levi’s tag”. So I said, no and took a Lee Pipes jeans that cost 1000 something but with 25% discount. There was also one time, hubby and I were talking on yahoo messenger, and he sent me a link to the Victoria secret store online. I asked why. He told me to pick what I want and he will order it for me. I told him “So you are allowing me to walk on the street wearing only Victoria Secret lingerie and their two-piece under wears?” Yep, my undies cost only 20 pesos each and 300 pesos being the most expensive for brassieres. Who cares? They can't see it!

It is indeed unwise to buy something just for the sake of having it “the glory of the tag line”. It’s better to give the money you use for it to the street kids who have nothing to eat. If you can buy the "glory of the tag line" and give something to those who are in need, that would be better.

First Commenter

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