CHRISTMAS TREES IN MANILA 2012

I just happen to attend conventions and workshops in Manila this Christmas season and I noticed that the Christmas trees in the places I've been to are the traditional Christmas trees with red and gold and other colorful balls. 

From Wikipedia, this is what they say about the Christmas Tree!

A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. An artificial Christmas tree is an object made to resemble such a tree, usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which with electrification could also be replaced by Christmas lights. Today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes.An angel or star may be placed at the top of the tree, to represent the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.

The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century.^[1] The Christmas tree has also been known as the "Yule-tree", especially in discussions of its folkloristic origins.^[2][3]

I'd like to share some of the Christmas trees I've seen around Manila (only where I went to...no extra effort to look for it!)... 

Century Park Hotel.

Very tall pine tree with colorful Christmas balls and oval lighted lanterns with the effect of jewels.

Heritage Hotel.

Another very tall pine tree with red and gold Christmas balls and ribbon garland... very classical tree!

The theme for Heritage Hotel this year is the Jungle Safari but they separated this from the Christmas Tree.

Heritage Christmas Tree by day

Heritage Christmas Tree by night

Manila Hotel.

The centrally displayed tall pine tree with red and gold Christmas balls, the Nutcracker and huge candy canes, including wreaths with red and gold balls.

The theme of Manila Hotel this Christmas is the Nutcracker Christmas.

 

Richmonde Hotel

The classic pine tree with red and gold Christmas balls and red, gold and green glittering fern-like leaves.

The other theme they have are the gingerbread houses and they, indeed smelled of cinnamon!

And of course, the grand staircase was also beautifully adorned!

It is also so nice to see the Christmas trees so traditionally decorated again with reds, greens and golds and brightened by the fine Christmas lights , tinsels and garlands!

REMINISCING HALLOWEEN IN CINTI

I was going over my iPhoto library and found some old pictures which I scanned sometime ago.

I was actually thinking of Thanksgiving in the US but instead, I found Halloween... a bit too late, though!

I just want to share some pictures with the pumpkins...

We visit the pumpkin patch, with the very rustic tractors and pumpkins of all sizes... then, we get to choose the pumpkin. How did we choose? If I remember right, we just chose a pumpkin shape which we would like to carve later...

Here we are at Burger Farm surrounded by thousands of pumpkins...with George using his surgical skills and voila! the carved pumpkin!!!

More about Burger Farm where we got the pumpkins...http://www.burgerfarms.com/aboutus.htm

From Wikipedia:  The most beautiful yards in Cincinnati come from Burger Farm and Garden Center ! Since 1904, Burger Farm has been family owned and operated 4 generations deep. It started off as a Dairy Farm and to this day still has seasonal farm animals. We aren't your typical garden center!

Come and visit our newly expanded 64,000 square feet of covered greenhouse and shopping area. Burger Farm and Garden Center is open rain or shine. 

I miss the pumpkins and the colors of Autumn!!!

SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD: NEW SAINT

A  new saint was canonized yesterday! He is San Pedro Calungsod from Cebu and so Cebuanos are so proud of him. He was called "El Visayo" for his native description.
I found it so interesting that San Pedro Calungsod is a 17 year old 17th century martyr! 

This is a new clipping from Manila Bulletin:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/378148/saint-pedro-calungsod#.UISSimlsOs0

Saint Pedro Calungsod

Pope Benedict XVI Canonizes 17th Century Teen Martyr, 6 Others In Vatican Rites

October 21, 2012, 8:17pm

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI canonized the Philippines’ second saint on Sunday, giving one of the church’s top honors to the 17th century teen martyr Pedro Calungsod before throngs of Filipinos in St. Peter’s Square.

Cheers went up in the crowd of about 80,000 when Benedict declared Calungsod a saint and worthy of veneration by the entire Catholic Church. Benedict named six other saints Sunday, some of them missionaries like the devout boy from central Cebu province.

Many Filipino faithful are particularly devoted to Calungsod, who as a teenager went with some Spanish Jesuit missionaries to Guam in 1668 to convert the Chamorros people. He was killed when the natives resisted.

“May the example and courageous witness of Pedro Calungsod inspire the dear people of the Philippines to announce the kingdom bravely and to win souls for God!” Benedict said in his homily.

My friend, Emie was very fortunate to be present during the Canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod, and these pictures come from her Facebook. (Remember Emie was my new friend who took very good care of me in Rome.)

 

From Wikipedia: This is what I gathered about San Pedro Calungsod.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Calungsod

Saint Pedro Calungsod also known as Pedro Calonsor (born: 1654^[3] – died: 2 April 1672) is a Roman Catholicyoung Filipino saint and was a migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist, who along with Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, suffered religious persecution and martyrdom in Guam for their missionary work in 1672.

While in Guam, Calungsod preached Christianity to the Chamorro people through catechism, while baptizing infants, children and adults at the risk and expense of being persecuted and eventually murdered. Through Calungsod and San Vitores' missionary efforts, many native Chamorros converted to Roman Catholicism.

Calungsod was formally beatified on 5 March 2000 by Blessed Pope John Paul II. Calungsod was officially canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on 21 October 2012.^[5]
Regarding Calungsod's charitable works and virtuous deeds, Pope John Paul II declared:

“

...From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to his call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist. Leaving family and friends behind, Pedro willingly accepted the challenge put to him by Fr. Diego de San Vitores to join him on the Mission to the Chamorros. In a spirit of faith, marked by strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion, Pedro undertook the demanding work asked of him and bravely faced the many obstacles and difficulties he met. In the face of imminent danger, Pedro would not forsake Fr. Diego, but as a "good soldier of Christ" preferred to die at the missionary's side.

On 21 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Calungsod in Saint Peter's Square. [1] The Pope donned a pearl-studded mitre and a cream pleated Papal fanon, a special vestment reserved only for the pontiff in the most solemn and rare liturgical occasions. Filipino Cardinal Ricardo Jamin Vidal concelebrated with Pope Benedict XVI at the official canonisation Mass for Calungsod while among the seven new saints canonised, Calungsod was the only one without a first class relic exposed for veneration since his body was thrown into the sea. The cutlass knife, a second-class relic used to hack Calungsod's head and neck however was retrieved by Cardinal Ricardo Vidal from Guam. During the papal homily, Pope Benedict XVI maintained that Calungsod received the Sacrament of Absolution from Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores before his martyrdom and death.

After Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, Calungsod is the second Filipino to be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Martyrology celebrates Calungsod's feast along with Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores every 2 April.^[24]

We know that these days it is almost an impossibility for anyone to be a Saint, more so, with the youth who have so much distractions... material and technological in nature!
We hope and pray that San Pedro Calungsod will continue to be an inspiration of young people and of the common tao.