Did you know that the Philippines celebrate Christmas the longest? It can begin as early as September! Christmas carols will be played, the streets will have Christmas decorations and children begin to carol and prepare their instruments. What a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit! But the biggest sign of the Christmas spirit is the Christmas lanterns or filipino parols.
Making parols is a significant part of Filipino culture, art, and heritage. Traditional parols were made from bamboo sticks, Japanese paper, candles, or coconut-oil lamps, now they are made of capiz shells or plastic. If you're looking for a fun activity, you can always make a paper one yourself.
History of the Parol
- In 1908, Francisco Estanislao, a salt dealer from Bacalor. Pampanga built a large Christmas lamp that locals called parol.
- Parol comes from the Spanish word 'Farol,' which means lantern and refers to the star that led the Three Kings to the manger where the infant Jesus was laid.
- San Fernando, a Philippines City has a yearly Giant Lantern Festival that takes place in mid-December. A giant parol competition is a major part of the festival. The city is known as the Lantern Capital of the Philippines or the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.
Womple loves the Philippines and wants to celebrate the Christmas season with his own filipino parol in this coloring page!
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