The Simbang Gabi, signals the coming of Christmas for most Filipinos.
Simbang Gabi is one of the Spanish-influenced traditions still widely practiced here in the Philippines. The word literally means Night Mass (technically it is dawn). So for nine dawns before Christmas, which is December 16, people would flock to their church of choice and attend mass.
Most of the people who attent Simbang Gabi do so as a novena. They believe that certain blessings or petitions are granted if one has the stamina to get up at the mass' ungodly hour for consecutive days for more than a week.
Outside the churches, a number of food peddlers open up make-shift stalls to offer a variety of rice dishes. Traditional Simbang Gabi faires are ensaymada, bibingka, puto bumbong, suman and other rice delicacies.
As we have no way to go to church to attend the mass at this time because of our shifts, the management brought this to us, or at least, a representation of it- they bought budbud into the office. There was bit of contention about what is budbud and suman but it was lost when we tasted the sitcky rice sans the usual white sugar- it was good.
Now if only sikwati(hot chocolate) was also available, it would have been perfect.
More pictures here.
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