“I wait for my daughter to come home from extra-curricular activities, so together we can unbox our small but deeply meaningful reason for the season.

For a number of reasons, September is a much anticipated (or dreaded!) time of the year. Locals refer to this as the start of the “Ber” season, meaning the months ending with the letters “b-e-r” from September through to December.

I have already seen my initial batch of Christmas tree options at the entrance of a popular bookstore chain and at an equally well-liked department store. September ushers in the long Christmas season in the Philippines and, as if on cue, I begin by displaying my small golden metal Christmas tree-shaped votive candle holder at home.

It is only a little past the first week of the month and I have already chanced upon Jose Mari Chan’s trademark Christmas carol, “Christmas in Our Hearts,” three times.

September is an anticipated time of the year as it heralds the joyous and festive Christmas season. For Christians, it is an opportunity to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, the coming of the Savior.

On the other hand, it is dreaded by those who wait for hours on end in metropolitan cities stuck in traffic gridlock. It is also dreaded by those who lament and equate the holidays with expenses and even more expenses as December nears. These include those for get-togethers, end of year events, Christmas parties plus the gifts, of course! Which reminds me, I plan to be organized with my presents well ahead of time this year. Hopefully I stick to this plan. It all starts with a realistic gift list, which I hope to jot down pretty soon.

Commemorated this first week of September is Yamashita Surrender Day. This obviously has nothing to do with the holiday season but I feel merits a mention as this is a fairly new working holiday in the country. Approved recently by the President, this commemorates the day when Japanese Imperial Army Commander Tomoyuki Yamashita formally signed his surrender documents on 3 September 1945. That act led to the end of World War II in the Philippines and in Asia Pacific. It is a special working holiday for most of the country and a non-working one in the province of Ifugao as the latter was the surrender site of Gen. Yamashita (pia.gov.ph). This is not new information for history buffs, but unfamiliar to those who have only ever heard of the Japanese general’s name associated with the legend of his and his army’s famed hidden treasure.

As I mentioned in brief earlier, it is normal to see shops, department stores and entire malls in a myriad of Christmas decorations during the “ber” months. In many a home, Christmas trees take center stage. Christmas is officially rung in by a household when a tree is fully decked out.

For practical reasons and inspirational ideals, I choose to make the nativity scene the focus or highlight in our home. My traditional set which I have had for almost eight years meets my dual criteria. It is very practical as it is a mini nativity scene, which fits in a small box that, in total, weighs a mere 350 grams. Each item in the 10-piece set is no bigger, some even much tinier, than a regular-sized matchbox. It inspires the virtues and ideals of simplicity, humility, gentleness, servant leadership and family and universal love.

With all the cacophony and hurriedness that the season inevitably brings with it, I choose to set my own pace. Thus, I wait for my daughter to come home from extra-curricular activities, so together we can unbox our small but deeply meaningful reason for the season.