Two Christmas trees with Filipino touches

While the celebration of Christmas was brought by the Europeans during the Spanish colonial period and reinforced during the American period, it is embraced by Filipinos, becoming their most beloved occasion. The Christmas tree is a popular decorative fixture after the beloved parol or Christmas lanterns.

Some Christmas trees are customized to reflect local cultures. This is true for the Christmas trees of several hotels. For example, Manila Hotel’s tree, unveiled on 6 November, is adorned with salakots, gold-painted anahaw leaves and capiz shells. Two more hotel Christmas trees that were recently unveiled show Filpino culture-inspired dressings and touches — SotoGrande Hotel Baguio in the commercial hub of the Cordilleras and Swiss-Belhotel Blulane in Manila’s Chinatown.

‘Kislap at Liwanag’ at SotoGrande Hotel Baguio

SotoGrande Hotel Baguio, one of the newest hotels in Baguio City, the educational, commercial and tourist hub of the Cordillera Region, held its very first Christmas tree lighting ceremony 30 November in the midst of the very busy swirl of pre-Christmas events in the so-called City of Pines.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony, “Kislap at Liwanag,” was simple and intimate, led by its resident manager Marco Fetizanan.

“The holiday season is a time to pause and cherish the warmth, joy, and connections that truly make life meaningful. And what better way to usher in this festive season than by coming together to light up our Christmas tree — a beacon of hope, love, and togetherness,” he said in his speech. “This tree is more than just a beautiful decoration; it’s a symbol of the light we can bring into one another’s lives. It reminds us of the joy that comes from giving, the happiness of sharing special moments with loved ones, and the hope that fills our hearts as we look toward the future.”

He emphasized: “We at SotoGrande Hotel Baguio are honored to be a part of your holiday traditions, and we are deeply grateful for your unwavering support. You are not just our guests; you are part of our community, and this celebration would not be the same without each and every one of you.”

The event was punctuated by a surprise performance by hotel staff members—a drag number featuring a Mariah Carey impersonation, lip-synching to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” a very popular modern Christmas song among Filipinos — to the delight of attendees.

The Enderun-managed hotel’s Christmas tree, placed at the lobby, is adorned with buri and anahaw fans, anahaw hats, handwoven baskets, dried grass, balls of abaca yarns, etc.

The event concluded with a sumptuous holiday-inspired dinner prepared by the food-and-beverage staff.

For those wishing to spend the holidays at the hotel, they are offering the Holidaze at Sotogrande packages including festive feasts, activities and stays. Check it out at https://www.sotograndehotels.com/.../sotog.../baguio-offers/.

‘Gabi ng Pasasalamat at Pag-ilaw ng Puno ng Kapaskuhan’ at Swiss-Belhotel Blulane

Swiss-Belhotel Blulane also pays homage to local culture with its Christmas tree, standing at the lobby together with a belen or creche. The tree is adorned with and sinamay ribbons, and small hats and abaniko or fans, both made of handwoven buri leaves, Conceptualized and prepared by members of the hotel sales team and rooms division department, it is meant to evoke the theme, “Timeless Filipino Christmas.”

The three-star hotel in Santa Cruz, Manila, aptly went Filipiniana for its Christmas tree lighting event, called “Gabi ng Pasasalamat at Pag-ilaw ng Puno ng Kapaskuhan,” on 29 November.

The event was led by Linie Cortez-Palacio, acting general manager and regional director for Sales and Operations-Philippines. The program was also an occasion to express appreciation to travel agencies and other partners and it included performances of classis Filipino Christmas songs by the Gloria Patri Singers, a community church choir from Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Don Manuel, Quezon City.

“This year’s celebration holds special significance as it marks a joyful return to community gatherings after the pandemic. Unlike previous years, this year’s event emphasizes hope, togetherness and renewal. The theme and activities are carefully designed to reflect resilience and the holiday spirit of giving,” said Ireene Tolentino, Swiss-Belhotel Blulane head of Sales and Marketing.

Another star of the evening was the special dinner of Filipino dishes, prepared with specials twists, including a huge bowl of kwek-kwek or tokneneng with three sauces, binakol with xiao long bao, bagnet Bicol Express, lechon baka and arroz Valenciana, pares quesadilla, sisig croquettas, palabok rolls, pinakbet tarts, inihaw na puto bungbong, turon de halo-halo and bibingka ensaymada. The cocktails also came with Filipino twists —Mango Sago (Bacardi White, mango juice, brown sugar syrup, evaporated milk, with garnishes of dried mango and sago), Fiesta con Hielo (Luisita Rum, Halo-halo syrup, coffee with garnishes of pandan cream and banana chips), and Ube Colada (coconut rum, Agimat Ube Liqueur, Coconut cream, corn syrup with garnishes of pandan leaves and macapuno balls).

The 172-room hotel is currently offering special promo packages for Christmas and New Year. For inquiries and reservations, call 0917-8692258 or e-mail at inquirysbbl@swiss-belhotel.com.