How To Embrace Christmas In The Philippines

Ditch your romanticised view of a White Christmas and embrace the heat of an extra-long festive season in the Philippines.

Christmas or Paskong Pinoy starts early in the Philippines – it puts on one of the longest Christmas celebrations in the world. Filipinos start decorating their homes with colourful parols (lanterns) and Christmas lights as early as September and the festive fun continues to roll out until Christmas Day.

If you’re visiting over Christmas, here’s how to embrace the warmth of the holiday season in the Philippines with these top Filipino Christmas festivities and delicacies.

1. Witness the Giant Lantern Festival, Pampanga

Lighting up the streets of Pampanga, the Christmas Capital of the Philippines, are dazzling parols made from capiz shells. The time-honoured tradition started back in the 1900s when the townsfolk of Pampanga used to walk with a lantern in hand to light the electricity-deprived streets.

traditional star-shaped parols at night — Stargazing but make it merry and festive.

From the Spanish word farol or lantern, these star-like ornaments are quintessential elements of a typical Christmas in the Philippines. To celebrate the parol-making tradition and the remarkable craftsmanship of Pampangueños, the Giant Lantern Festival is held annually in mid-December, showcasing vibrant and spectacular lanterns as tall as 20 feet.

Giant Lantern Festival in Pampanga City, Philippines — Brightly coloured parols at the annual Giant Lantern Festival.

2. Gaze at The Festival of Lights, Makati City

Come November, the Ayala Triangle Gardens and the long stretch of Ayala Avenue in Metro Manila are festooned with twinkling lights jiving to a medley of Disney songs and popular holiday tunes.

the Ayala Triangle Light Show in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines — A thousand lights illuminate the Ayala Triangle Gardens at night. (Image: David Kim)

The Festival of Lights has been an annual tradition for more than 15 years now and was once named one of the world’s best Christmas lights by international travel magazine Condé Nast.

the Liter of Light installation at Ayala Land Festival of Lights in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines — The Liter of Light installation is made of solar-powered recycled bottles. (Image: Ayala Land)

3. Visit Christmas Symbols Festival, Tangub City

What started as a simple request for a Christmas tree to be placed in the city’s plaza in 1992 has grown to become one of the longest-running Christmas events in the Philippines.

Now you can find mini replicas of 14 iconic landmarks from around the world – think Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, Temple of Athena Nike in Greece, and Ashikaga Flower Park in Japan – but all in one place at the Christmas Symbols Festival in Tangub City, province of Misamis Occidental, Northern Mindanao.

the Christmas Symbols Festival in Tangub City — Catch the iconic Christmas symbols from around the world in Tangub City.

4. Attend Misa De Gallo

One of the most embraced Paskong Pinoy traditions in the Philippines is Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi. If you’re visiting the Philippines in the third week of December, be sure to set your alarms early so you won’t miss out on attending the sacred gathering held in the wee hours of the morning.

Filipinos attending Misa De Gallo while seeking shade from the rain — Even the rain won’t stop Filipinos from attending the Simbang Gabi. (Image: George Calvelo)

As a predominantly Catholic country, Filipinos believe their Christmas wishes will come true by merely attending the Misa de Gallo for nine days from the 16th of December until right before dawn on Christmas Eve.

people buying food and Christmas delicacies outside the church after Simbang Gabi in the Philippines — Drop by the food stalls outside the church to buy kakanin (native rice cake).

5. Celebrate Noche Buena

When the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, families gather around the dining table for Noche Buena. Every household has a signature Christmas recipe often shared with their neighbours.

a traditional Noche Buena feast on Christmas Eve in the Philippines — Paskong Pinoy is simple but meaningful.

Feast on savoury Paskong Pinoy dishes such as pancit (stir-fry noodles), Filipino sweet-style spaghetti, lechon (roasted pig), lumpia (spring rolls), jamón, queso de bola, tsokolate (hot chocolate), leche flan (caramel custard) and buko salad. Yum!

a bowl of buko salad on the table at Noche Buena — A typical Filipino fruit salad is served with freshly grated coconut.

6. Dine on Christmas delicacies

The smell of puto bumbong (purple rice cake) and bibingka (salted egg rice cake) fills the air as churchgoers drop by the stalls selling Filipino Christmas delicacies.

puto bumbong, a Christmas purple rice cake dish on top of a banana leaf — Puto Bumbong is made of pure ube with muscovado sugar and shredded coconut on the side.

You’ll find vendors cooking these special rice cakes in clay pots with fresh banana leaves and purple bamboo tubes.

the purple tubes used to cook puto bumbong in the Philippines — The beloved Christmas staple is steamed until it becomes deep purple.

7. Head to the Christmas Village, City of Pines

In a perpetually sunny country like the Philippines, experiencing a White Christmas remains a wishful thought. The closest you can get to a wintery feel is up north in Baguio, the City of Pines where the temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius. There’s no snow but the vegetable fields in the nearby towns get covered with frost.

the carnival theme at Baguio Christmas Village 2023 — Part of the Baguio Country Club transforms into a festive carnival display. (Image: Baguio City Guide)

Head to Baguio Country Club and feel an enchanting holiday spirit at Baguio Christmas Village. This year, the Christmas Village takes on a carnival theme staging artificial snow installations.

snow installations at Baguio Christmas Village 2023 — Winter wonderland feels at the Christmas Village. (Image: Baguio City Guide)

8. Visit Casa Santa Museum

There are no reindeer to ride or chimneys for Santa to crawl through in Manila but the guy in a big red suit certainly has a special place in the hearts of Filipinos. So much so that you can visit a Santa-themed museum all year round.

life-sized statue of Santa Claus and other Christmas memorabilia at Casa Santa Museum, Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines — Casa Santa Museum will ignite your childhood memories of Santa Claus.

The Casa Santa Museum in Antipolo (about an hour outside Manila) is home to over 3700 figurines and life-sized statues of Santa Claus and his elves, as well as various kinds of Christmas memorabilia.

the elf station at Casa Santa Museum, Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines — There’s even an elf station at which you can imagine Santa’s elves working behind the scenes.

Showcasing Christmas traditions and stories from around the world and housed within a 19th-century house in the Jardin de Miramar, this festive museum offers a nostalgic Christmas experience for all ages.

the Belen or nativity scene, a three-dimensional art depiction of the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger — The three-dimensional nativity scene is also known as Belen in the Philippines.

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9. See the Christmas-themed houses on Policarpio St

Amid the bustling streets of Manila lies the dazzling Christmas-themed Policarpio St, Mandaluyong City. The homes here are alight with Filipino festive spirit come ber months (September to December).

a house decorated with bright and colourful Christmas lights along Policarpio St in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines — The city street gets dressed with flashy and twinkly lights.

Follow the glow as you drive down the street until you see the House of Light and House of Santa Claus and marvel at the spectacular Christmas light displays and life-sized nativity scenes.

a house decorated with Christmas lights and Santa Claus statues along Policarpio St in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines — The well-decorated houses along Policarpio St have no shortage of Christmas displays.

10. Shop at modern Christmas markets

The essence of a Paskong Pinoy is rooted in gift-giving. Filipino kids typically visit their godparents (ninang/ninong) to ask for their aguinaldos (gifts) on Christmas day. In the Philippines, you can shop at holiday bazaars as early as September, and the most anticipated of them all is the Noel Bazaar, the longest-running holiday bazaar in the country.

the home of wonder entrance at Noel Bazaar 2023, Okada Manila — Step into the home of wonder across different venues of Noel Bazaar. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

This year’s bazaar will run for 48 days from the 10th of November and is held in different venues across the metro, including Okada Manila, World Trade Center and Filinvest Tent Alabang. Find stalls selling celebrity thrift clothes and all kinds of excellent gifts for loved ones. Organised by the GMA Kapuso Foundation, all the proceeds go towards children and families in need.

people browsing through the stalls in Noel Bazaar 2023 in Okada Manila — Find joy in shopping for Christmas gifts at Noel Bazaar. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Other Christmas markets to check out: Christmas ToyFAIR (December 15 to 17), World Bazaar Festival (December 13 to 22) and Greenhills Night Market (open until the first week of January).

the crowded Noel Bazaar 2023 in Okada Manila — A wondrous atmosphere of merriment screams at the Noel Bazaar this year.

For more ideas to spend the holidays this year, check out the best places to spend a White Christmas and the cutest German Christmas markets here.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

There’s no snow but this could be the most festive place on Earth