Highlights
- While Australia and the Philippines have their own ways of celebrating the holidays, a good number of Filipino migrants continue to pursue the traditions they grew up with.
- Christmas during Ivy Sugano's childhood has always spurred on painful memories. Family prompted her to see the holidays differently.
- Michael Crisostomo celebrates the season with two valued Filipino traditions - parol-making and fellowship.
With celebrations and moments-to-gather being too few and far between this year, finding a reason for the season becomes a paradoxical mix of difficult-and-easy and pressing-and-deferrable. Nevertheless, for Filipino DIYers Ivy Sugano and Michael Crisostomo, the quest is an important one.
Listen to the podcast here.
The Christmas tree
"When I was a child, my mum worked abroad. Every Christmas, it would just be me and my siblings celebrating the holidays with my mum's relatives. My relatives' families would always be complete, but my mum would always be away," Mt Druitt resident Ivy Sugano shares, teary-eyed.
Ivy admits that her childhood Christmases were painful and that Christmas for her only arrived when her mum did.
"Then 14 years ago, I met my husband. He made it a point that we were always together during Christmas. That's when I started to appreciate the holidays. I was no longer getting angry at our neighbours who would blast out Christmas tunes," she laughs.
Ivy admits that her husband helped her appreciate the holidays. Source: Annalyn Violata
Aside from no longer despising Christmas tunes because of her husband, Christmas became an even more meaningful holiday with the birth of her youngest child.
"My youngest daughter was born on December 25. We had more reasons to celebrate Christmas," she shares, affirming that her child has autism.
"I don't know if I'm being tested but I do feel more capable now to take care of her needs. She's always been a blessing to us."
With the blessing of family and a need to celebrate, Ivy now delves into creating her own Christmas decorations to ring in the holidays,
The Sugano family Source: Ivy Sugano
"I never had the chance to decorate when I was a child. I'm making up for it now," she shares, adding, "Like a lot of Filipinos, I start planning on the decorations once September hits."
"I work with clay. I make my own decors and trimmings. I try to make my decors from recycled materials so projects are economical. Every year, I do different themes and concepts.
"This year, I played with black and blue, sage green and dusty pink. I also made gnomes from leftover materials from previous projects. And because our movements this year were limited, I tried to use whatever I could find in our backyard. I used a lot of natural materials."
"I also made gnomes from leftover materials from previous projects." Source: Ivy Sugano
The centrepiece featuring a natural feel for Ivy this year is the family's Christmas tree.
"We usually have a black tree because the colour of trimmings tend to pop more. This year though, the tree we have is bare - no leaves, just branches. You can just see its structure. It's like with this year, we lost so much. We've been stripped bare and all that we've been focused on is what we need, what is essential."
For Ivy, what was essential this year and what she has always needed during the holidays she already has.
"This year, the tree we have is bare - no leaves, just branches. You can just see its structure." Source: Annalyn Violata
"It's Christmas and my family's complete. That's all I could ask for."
The parol [Filipino star lantern]
For Tondo-born Michael Crisostomo, on the other hand, Christmas this year doesn't feel as complete as it did.
"Christmas just isn't as happy this year as it used to be. I grew up in the squatters area in the Philippines, where homes were right beside each other. You knew everyone. Every household will give you something for Christmas even if they had very little themselves. You felt the love."
While he may be far away from where he grew up, Michael is grateful for the community he's found in Australia.
Michael Crisostomo Source: Michael Crisostomo
"I met the Filipino friends I have now in church.
"Our church announced a parol-making contest. The parol [Filipino star lantern] had to be made up of at least 90 per cent recycled materials. The group I was a part of chose me to lead because of my love for the arts and my ideas for the lantern."
For Michael, the parol is more than an ornamental lantern. Like most Catholic Filipinos, he deems it as a representation of the star of Bethlehem - that which guided the Three Wise Men to the child Jesus.
"For Filipinos, once we see the parol, we know it's Christmas and it's a time for giving and uniting. We feel uplifted," he shares, adding, "Because we're in Australia, I seldom see a parol hanging outside a home. When I do see the lantern though, I immediately know a Filipino lives there."
For Michael, the parol is more than an ornamental lantern. Source: Michael Crisostomo
While the traditional parol is made of paper or capiz shells, Michael and his group opted to use sticks, ornaments, tinsel and eggshells.
"The 2-metre star is double-sided [and three-dimensional], so it was tricky to make. However, the mistakes we made along the way actually added to the beauty of the project.
"The 2-metre star is double-sided [and three-dimensional], so it was tricky to make." Source: Michael Crisostomo
"We decided to place a belen [nativity scene] in the middle of the parol. We made the figures of the belen out of eggshells."
While Michael says taking second place in the parol-making contest more than made up for the sleepless nights they spent on the lantern, what makes him prouder is that their project is now hanging in the church for everyone to see.
"I hope those missing home will feel uplifted because of it.
A belen made of egg shells Source: Michael Crisostomo
"We go home every year to be with family during the holidays, but the pandemic has made that impossible. Christmas this year will definitely be different - especially for my wife whose mum is by herself in the Philippines. It breaks my heart."
Despite the heartbreak of missing family back home, Michael is grateful for the friends they've met in Australia.
"Our friends have been such a great comfort to us - especially at this time.
Despite the heartbreak of missing family back home, Michael is grateful for the friends they've met in Australia. Source: Michael Crisostomo
"There will be a lingering sadness during Christmas for sure; but as my mum jokes with me, we'll just one-up each other on our decorations and Christmas feasts over video chat this year."
ALSO READ / LISTEN TO
