In Frederic Austin’s early 19th century carol, “The 12 Days of Christmas,” the celebration lasts only, well, for 12 days.

But for Christmas-loving Filipinos, the festivities last for four months, beginning the months that end in “ber” or on 1 September. The so-called “ber” months include September, October, November and December. In some homes, the celebration “officially” ends on the Feast of the Three Kings in January the next year.

The entire nation transforms into a wonderland, with shopping malls and business districts playing Christmas carols and adorning their places with Yuletide decorations as early as the first day of September.

The nation embraces the concept of sharing warmth and love for the whole four months.

However, the world’s most extended Christmas celebration is not really embedded into Filipino culture. Instead, it is driven by commerce and the commercialization of the holiday tradition, with the proliferation of big shopping malls across the country to drive traffic and encourage consumers to start shopping for anything related to Christmas.

These big retail stores dress up their establishments with Christmas-themed decors intended to entice the public to visit their shops. But while the rest of the world frown on this “Christmas creep” phenomenon, Filipinos love it.

But with the economy tattered by two years of severe mobility restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic that halted many economic activities, the retail sector could use the Filipinos’ unique love affair with Christmas.

And on 16 September, many Filipinos have already started their 100-day countdown before Christmas.

Get a room

The Bureau of Customs is not done yet with the controversy related to the sugar warehouse raid they did in Subic. Something more sinister is about to explode in that agency.

Yes, KaTribu, I cannot quite imagine this scandal involving a high Customs official because he is said to invoke GOD, INTEGRITY and CREDIBILITY, and even carries a book to profess his alleged moral ascendency. But that is all just for show, it seems.

And I also can’t figure out that this high Customs official is more amorous than Roger Rabbit, as rumors are circulating that he converted his office into a motel for quick trysts. Do the Marites and Marisol at the Bureau of Customs know about this? Our Marites inside the BoC swore that this official allegedly grabs the bosom of his secretary every time he has the urge. The hapless secretary is reportedly powerless to resist his boss’s advances even if the incident has been caught on CCTV.

And oh, we heard unusual noises from this high official’s office that were not supposed to be coming from there.

Surprisingly, this BoC official has two secretaries, and our Marites said both enjoy equal privileges from their boss.