#8 The Joy of Giving

“9 Things I Love About Christmas”

“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.”
-Jim Rohn

Today I’m telling you about the joy of giving. It’s another thing I love about Christmas because it’s really heartwarming everytime you know that you make someone happy by giving them gifts without asking something in return.

Aside from attending Simbang Gabi, it’s also become a tradition to us to pledge to give something for the kids in our church every year. At the beginning of Simbang Gabi, the people in our church put up a simple Christmas Tree where they hang pledges and here, people can choose what they want to pledge to give. These pledges are for the less fortunate kids and we really hope that these gifts we will be giving on Christmas Eve will somehow make them happy! :D

My sister and I chose these pledges (a new shirt and a new bag) and we’re really excited to give these to the kids!!

#9 Chirstmas Tradition "Simbang Gabi"

“9 Things I Love About Christmas”

I know this has nothing to do with books but since Christmas is only 9 days away, I decided to do “9 Things I Love About Christmas” starting today. Each day I will be posting something that makes Christmas extra special for me and today I will be telling you all about a Christmas Tradition called “Simbang Gabi” that we Filipinos very much practiced.

Simbang Gabi is a nine-day/night series of Masses we attend to in anticipation of Christmas Day. It starts from the 15th to 23rd of December at four o’clock in the morning but those who can’t attend this can attend the nine o’clock in the evening mass from the 16th to 24th which is called the Anticipated Mass. My sisters and I have started the Simbang Gabi today, we attended the four a.m. mass, and it’s been a yearly tradition to us to attend and never miss a day for they say that if you complete these nine days of masses, then one of your wishes will come true this Christmas Day.

We’ve been attending Simbang Gabi for 11 years and we used to attend with our Grandmother but now that she’s gone, it’s just me and my two sisters. And I always love attending Simbang Gabi because completing it is like an accomplishment and the excitement of counting down the days until Christmas is fun! With these masses, we also get to become closer with God and his words.

They also say that attending the Simbang Gabi is like a sacrifice for you get up early for nine days just so you can celebrate with everybody else and with them you anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ.

That’s it for my favorite Christmas Tradition and tomorrow I will be back to tell you another thing I love about Christmas!🎄🎄🎄

Day 9. A Favorite Christmas Tradition.

Simbang Gabi has always been a Christmas tradition to us Filipinos. It is where we spend 9 days/nights attending masses and anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ. We believe that when we complete these 9 days/nights of simbang gabi then God will grant us a special wish. 

I've been attending Simbang Gabi for 8 years now. We started going with our Grandmother but now it's just me, yana and aly. And I've always wanted to go with my whole family but I guess timing is never on our side. But I still hope that one day the 6 of us will get to attend it together.

Now it's the 3rd day of simbang gabi and we're attending the 4am mass. Six to go and only 8 days until Christmas!

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