Schizo Christmas

Long overdue post. Haven't been blogging much. Been too busy living :)

Since I'm stuck at home trying to get some rest so my fever won't break out, will catch up on blogging.

Christmas in Singapore is... different. In the Philippines, it is the biggest holiday of the year because aside from the humongous retail sales possibilities, it celebrates the birth of Christ which is the central religion in the country. I didn't realize how much I love the traditions of noche buena, simbang gabi, parol, christmas lights in houses, gift giving, endless food giving, midnight mass, the belen scene, christmas dinners/ reunions with every circle of friends, caroling, exchange gifts,... even though I don't really partake in all of the above.

Here in Singapore, there is no image of the manger at all! There are a lot of cliche Christmas images though. Each mall/ department store has a theme. Taka had the cute light blue teddy bears. Tangs had the orange and green plaid pattern with blonde children. Paragon had a huge Christmas tree. The rest are forgettable.

But what I dislike the most is the schizo decorations in Orchard road. It's supposed to be a candy land theme so there were gigantic candy canes, candy shaped lights, hearts, random stars and ribbons all around. There was even a "candy" house in the middle of Orchard with fake lollipops and sweets. What does that have to do with CHRIST-mas?

Too commercial for me. The season is a bit lost here. I guess it's because majority aren't really Catholics. The celebrations here feel a bit forced and not as genuine. Or maybe I'm just turning into a Scrooge...

Ugh, take those Orchard lights away please.