28 December 2025
I remember when I was a kid, life was so simple, and we barely had food on the table on Christmas Eve (12 a.m.). Still, we were grateful for whatever blessings we had. In the morning, we would go around town with our plastic bags, going house to house to ask for Christmas aguinaldo (presents) of any kind, food, money, or small things, depending on what the homeowners would give us.
I felt lucky whenever my godparents gave me presents, but I was still happy even if there were none. I had lots of candies anyway. As I grew older, I saw my younger self in my siblings doing the same thing. And now that my siblings are all grown up, my nieces and nephews have taken over. Through the years, all I can say is that kids are the stars of Christmas, and giving presents on Christmas day isn't mandatory, but a way of showing kindnessto anyone.
Since I rarely experienced receiving Christmas gifts when I was young, I didn’t want my younger siblings and niblings to experience the same. So ever since I started working, I’ve always given them presents every Christmas, whether they were kids or already adults. No exceptions. Even when I was abroad, I would order gifts online and would ask my mom to wrap them for me. That’s how convenient shopping is nowadays.
Unlike last year, I decided to cut my budget this year. I thought I did, but after computing everything, I realized I actually spent more on gifts this year than last year, lol. Still, we saved on food because we really planned to spend more on New Year’s Eve. It’s our tradition.
The gifts I ordered online arrived a few days before Christmas, and I packed everything on the night of the 23rd. My nephews and nieces were arriving the next day, so I spent hours finishing all the gift packing before sleeping. As always, I felt excited while packing them. That’s my favorite part of the Christmas season. Despite the challenges lately, I felt thankful that I was still able to give gifts to my family.
There were also benefits to buying gifts online this time. As an affiliate, I could promote the items I bought and earn a little commission from them. At least I got something in return for the things I purchased online.
Did I mention that I wasn’t able to attend the Christmas Eve Mass last year? I really wanted to, but I had online work that required a midnight shift. I spent Christmas Eve in front of my computer. So this year, I promised myself that I would attend Mass since I didn’t have any work at that time. It had been a decade since I last attended Christmas Eve Mass in our hometown church. I guess I’ll write a separate blog about it.
On the 25th, Christmas Day, not all my nieces were present, and my older brothers’ families couldn’t come for some reason. Only a few niblings arrived, along with the little one at home. I thought it would be the same as last year. But when another niece arrived, I decided to push through with the celebration, complete or not.
We had a few games hosted by my cousin, who was thankfully there. My main goal was to bring joy to the kids with the little things I had so they wouldn’t feel bored on Christmas Day. I let them stay at home instead of going house to house around the neighborhood asking for presents, which kids usually do on Christmas Day. I had already prepared plenty of goodies at home for my niblings and random kids who might stop by anyway. We also prepared some food that they could eat after the games. We gave out the gifts after the games, which brought even more smiles to their faces.
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Even though I didn’t receive any gifts this Christmas (I’m used to it), seeing the kids happy was already a gift for me. I guess that’s my role in the family, their Ms. Santa, lol.
Christmas doesn’t have to be grand or perfect. For me, it’s about sharing what I have, being present, and seeing genuine smiles from the people I love. As long as there’s laughter at home and joy in the hearts of the kids, that’s already more than enough. That’s the kind of Christmas I’ll always choose to celebrate.
Thanks for your time.
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Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
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