Simbang Gabi : Filipino Christmas Tradition

How Did Simbang Gabi Get Started?

Simbang Gabi is a Christmas tradition in the Philippines. It is a series of nine dawn masses held in the days preceding Christmas. It begins on December 15 and ends at midnight on the 24th of December, when a midnight mass is held.

Simbang Gabi evolved from the Roman Catholic Church’s Missa Aurea (golden Mass or Angel’s Mass). The Spanish friars started the tradition at the beginning of the Catholic evangelization of the Philippines, specifically to allow farmers to hear mass before going to work in the fields in the morning. Simbang Gabi masses were originally held in the early hours of the morning, around 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. — when roosters crow to announce the arrival of a new day, giving rise to the name Misa de Gallo. Today, it is still celebrated in most parts of the Philippines in the same way, with Roman Catholic churches across the country opening their doors shortly before dawn and church bells ringing to summon the faithful to the Simbang Gabi mass.

To welcome churchgoers during Simbang Gabi, which is a preparation for Christmas, most churches are decorated with colorful lights and beautiful parol lanterns. In addition, a Nativity Scene is displayed in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.

Traditional delicacies await churchgoers shortly after the mass; there are food stalls right outside the church; popular favorites include bibingka, puto (rice cakes), puto bumbong, suman sa pasko, suman sa ibos, and are usually served with tea or coffee. Hot pandesal (breakfast rolls) are also well-liked.

Even in this digital age, the tradition of Simbang Gabi is observed not only in the Philippines but also in many Filipino communities around the world.