Simbang Gabi starts tomorrow

The first day of Simbang gabi  will start early morning tomorrow. The first of nine will surely be attended by countless parishioners. More often, people only do simbang gabi on the first and the last day, which is Christmas eve. I hope the majority will complete and attend more mass and be more devoted, just for a change. Aside from the mass itself, I personally enjoy the feeling of anticipation that Christmas is near. Nine days before Christmas! Woohoo! Christmas break and Gifts!!! But who would not enjoy Simbang gabi? After the mass, you buy and eat puto-bumbong, bibingka or maybe suman. Add some hot tsokolate or kapeng barako and you're set! And since it's still dark, some lanterns and Christmas lights are still on and you get the chance to enjoy them. In short, you feel the spirit of Christmas as it gets nearer. You won't find this on any country! It is, as they say, more fun in the Philippines! So sleep early, wake up early, get yourselves fixed early and head toward your parish church and be on the first Simbang gabi of the year!



I did a little web search on the history of Simbang gabi, it's a bit vague but here's what I found out:

"Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Christmas tradition, it is a series of nine (9) dawn masses, the mass starts as early as 4:00 a.m. It begins on December 16 and ends on the midnight of the 24th of December, which is the midnight mass. This tradition was introduced by the Spanish friars to allow the farmers to hear mass before going to the fields early in the morning. Simbang Gabiis also known by its popular Spanish name as the Misa de Gallo, or ``mass of the rooster.'' In the olden days, the church bells start ringing as early as three o' clock waking people up so they can get ready for the four o'clock dawn mass.

The Roman Catholic churches across the nation start to open their doors shortly before the break of dawn to welcome the faithfuls to theSimbang Gabi mass.Today, the tradition of Simbang Gabi continues whether you live in the city or in the province, although it is celebrated in new ways. Most churches are decorated with colourful lights and beautiful parol lanterns to welcome the church goers. "

Source: http://mmdelrosario.hubpages.com/hub/Filipino-Christmas-Tradition-Simbang-Gabi

"Simbang Gabi is about three centuries old, having begun sometime in the 1700s. A Spanish friar gathered his flocks of farmers during harvest time - coinciding with the Christmas season - and together they gave thanks for the bountiful harvest. Group singing was encouraged during the gathering and a simple breakfast was served afterwards. From then on these farmers willingly observed those early mornings as a time for worship, and it became a tradition over time.

These nine dawn Masses, usually starting at four o'clock in the morning, are considered a novena by the Catholic and Aglipayan faithful. Going to mass this early for nine consecutive days is meant to show the churchgoer's devotion to his faith and to heighten anticipation for the Nativity of the Lord. A traditional Filipino belief, however, is that those who complete the novena will have a special wish or favor granted by God."

Source: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Simbang_gabi

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