Paról: A Symbol of Hope & Resilience
Photo source: Aurora Santiago
December 2021
Dear Kaibigan,
It’s been a full year sharing with you about wellness! I remember in May I introduced the wellness dimensions by first talking about occupational wellness. I want to pause with the wellness dimensions for a bit and spend December and January focusing on “celebrations” and “refining balance”. The end of the calendar year tends to be a common marker when we reflect on what has happened, who are the people we love, who have we missed, and what are we hoping for in the new year. The month of December is a very good time to take stock of our many experiences, traditions, and rituals since it is part of the holiday season worldwide and many partake in celebrations. I think about the concept of “celebration” as a way to express gratitude, to honor the people we love by spending time or connecting in some fashion, and to instill hope of glorious beginnings. What do you think about celebrations, kaibigan ko?
Me? I’ve been thinking about the history, meaning and dichotomy of some celebrations. For instance, Thanksgiving in America, which occurs on the fourth Thursday in November, and according to American tradition, is based on the Colonists and Wampanoag Tribe sharing an autumn harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts in November 1621. This was widely acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations and has a positive meaning. Nationally, Thanksgiving is known for bringing together families and friends in celebration of gratitude and feasting together. I recently learned that the Wampanoag Tribe considers Thanksgiving day as a National Day of Mourning. They have experienced catastrophic losses, including their language, land and ancestors’ lives. It’s fascinating how a holiday, its tradition, and any celebratory acts in honor of it can have multiple and even contrasting meanings depending on the nationality, ethnicity, religion, and history of a group of people.
Pasko (Christmas) festivities are a big deal in the Filipino culture for those who practice Christianity and Catholicism. In fact, Filipino Christmas season begins in September and this season of celebration is colorful, lively, full of regional traditions, and twinkling with lights. An iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas spirit is the paról. An ornamental, star-shaped Christmas lantern traditionally made of bamboo and Japanese paper and illuminated with a candle or kalburo (carbide) from the inside. The origin of the paról can be traced back during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines, when the Spaniards brought Christianity to the islands.
The design of the paról for Filipinos evokes the star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Wise Men to the manger of the newly born Jesus Christ. Paróls were initially used to light the way to church to faithfully attend the nine-day Simbang Gabi (evening mass), which begins on the 16th of December and is a devotion for petition of special favors. Filipinos would hang their paróls outside their house after coming home from hearing the mass. Paróls are still displayed hanging outside the house, along the busy streets of the cities and in provincial towns and small villages. There are also Festival of Lights in some regions that are beautifully intricate with the various paról designs. In essence, the paról is an expression of shared faith and hope. It also symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and Filipinos’ goodwill during the Christmas season.
As a nation whose history includes trauma from colonization and losses similar to the ones of the Wamponaog Tribe, I feel proud of my kababayans (countrymen) that we have thrived in spite of colonization. The Latin word “celebrare” means to assemble, to honor. It is fitting that the paról symbolizes goodwill, faith, and hope. Filipinos took to a religion that was imposed on us and owned it to come together and celebrate spirituality, honoring the good in each other and sharing in hope. I also understand that there are regions in the Philippines where Christmas is not celebrated at all because of their religion. The paról for them likely does not have the same significance or any at all. I’ve come to appreciate that the paról is representative of Philippine history and personally believe that the paról can be used to celebrate, to honor, one’s religion (whichever one they choose to practice), one’s spirituality, our goodwill as Filipino/a/x, and our strength as kababayans and as a nation rather than just tied to certain religions. I think in this manner, the paról itself can be a symbol of hope and resilience for all Filipinos, not just some, during the months of September-December.
My celebration of the Christmas season is drastically different living in America. There are no paróls in my neighborhood, and definitely no Christmas festivities that begin in September. I am though reminded each September that the Christmas season in the Philippines begins and I think about how I keep with tradition. How do I share in this celebration being away from the Philippines? How do I create moments of celebrations that honors my culture and my family? This is at times harder in practice because I don’t have the social cues and role models that I would if I were living back home. I must be attentive and intentional in how I participate in the customs of sharing in faith and hope. In my earlier years, I followed what the adults did and told me to do. I then easily turned to food that would traditionally be part of a Filipino Christmas feast. As I’ve become more nostalgic and homesick through the years, especially last year, my way of celebrating the Christmas season has become more about maintaining my connection to my homeland and kababayans, not just to my family.
I pay my respect and gratitude to my kababayans in the Philippines and beyond as I yearn for the aromas, sights and energy that the Christmas season celebration brings. The paról is a reminder, my social and cultural cue, that I belong to a group of resilient people. A people who has transcended borders and created homes in unfamiliar lands, borrowed land, in hopes of acquiring knowledge, of fortune, of stronger health, of reunification with families. Many immigrate to share their successes and wealth back to their homeland where their families, loved ones and kababayans await and will continue to thrive together.
Celebrations for me as an adult have expanded from holidays and birthdays to daily acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, experiencing successes and persevering through hardships, and expressing fondness and admiration of others. I celebrate my triumphs and that of others because I know triumphs are usually earned and may have followed a suffering or strained efforts. I try to honor what I have and who I have through expressions of gratitude and generosity. This is a way of sharing my culture’s goodwill and fostering hope in others and in myself. I am excited for the many celebrations and festivities in December. What about you, kaibigan? What are you celebrating? What celebrations are you looking forward to this month?
Our pasalubong for this month is an encouragement to reflect on what celebrations mean for you and the multicultural influences of why and how you honor:
· What are national holidays that you celebrate whether it be the ones from your native land, homeland, or current land?
· What are the personal, cultural and family celebrations that you honor throughout the year?
· What does it mean for you to “celebrate” a person?
· What does it mean for you to “celebrate” an event?
· What does it mean for you to “celebrate” yourself?
· How has the meaning of celebrations evolved throughout your life?
· What is or are your cultural, religious, and/or personal symbol(s) of hope and resilience?
Filipinos have evolved in their practice of celebrating the Christmas season and religious holidays. They have created deep meaning of shared faith, hope and resilience that transcends the boundaries of the Philippine islands to wherever a Filipino may call home. Perhaps you’re nostalgic of celebrating with those you love and will plan ways to have enjoyable experiences during this holiday season. Perhaps you’ll celebrate this month the many triumphs you have whether it be that you show up to work or school, tried something new, kept good habits, took a moment to experience what missing a loved one felt like, did something kind for yourself and others, or persevered through a hardship. Perhaps you’ll see a paról or your own symbol and be reminded of your cultural and family traditions and customs of hope and that honor your resilience. There are many moments and reasons to celebrate on your own, to come together with others and honor a meaningful event, and to look forward to those glorious beginnings that are to come. I hope you do celebrate each day this month, wherever you call home.
Maligayang Pasko (Happy Christmas),
Angel, on behalf of The Giving Well