Nothing is wrong with celebrating Christmas though the season itself can be VERY STRESSFUL. One of the biggest reasons why Christmas and New Year are very stressful in the Philippines is associated with a combination of overspending and procrastination. They choose to do everything at the last minute and decide that they want to have it lavish. Since it's almost Christmas which has become a long part of modern Filipino society - I felt the need to write this article since December is just a few weeks away. I did write about Filipinos complaining about inflation because they feel the need for lavish celebrations and how the fiesta mentality keeps Filipinos poor.
I remembered growing up where poorer neighbors always threw in lavish Christmas parties. They even had a band performing rock and roll from dusk until dawn. My eyes even peel at all the expensive food the poorer neighbors had while I ate a simple Christmas feast where the host had way more money. However, it's not just Christmas but also birthdays were always grand. What was so unusual was that my way richer peers invited me to simpler feasts at their houses while the poorer ones tend to be more lavish. Some of my richer peers don't always celebrate all the time. I even remembered a richer friend of mine usually celebrated his birthdays with just his direct family. On the other hand, it really puzzles me how can a blue-collar employee keep having a huge feast even for birthdays. Then you have wealthier people who learn to celebrate simpler. It's probably because they started out poor and part of their success was living thriftily. They know they need more money than feasting. Note that some Filipino-Chinese have gone broke because they too have fallen for that trap of having the need for grand celebrations.
The idea that fiestas are there to help you forget your problem is B.S. While there's nothing wrong with feasts but the problem is if you're broke after the feast. Celebrating lavishly is nothing more than like being drunk or taking narcotics. Sure, shabu and heavy liquor can make you feel high but your misery increases when you're back to reality. Seeking to use lavish feasts to forget your problems is comparable to drug use/addiction and getting drunk. After the feast is over - it's back to reality. Worse, if you're the one holding the lavish feast - you may find yourself broke as a joke especially after Christmas and New Year. Some people get broke because they throw in too many feasts when they could just hold a simple celebration. Some businessmen would celebrate their birthdays as simply as possible. Some Filipino (which includes some Tsinoys) businessmen who feel the need to "pa-believe" with all the "pa-bonga" end up broke sooner or later - resulting in many Filipinos losing their jobs in the process.
That's why I advocate for learning to celebrate simpler. Celebrate with a budget. As the late John Gokongwei would say that there's the need to learn to save more than you spend. Unfortunately, too many Filipinos tend to learn to spend more than they save. They need to stop thinking of overspending as being part of their Filipino identity because it just ruins them. Instead, they need to think, "I'm a Filipino and I save for a rainy day!" If they want to celebrate then start celebrating simpler. Think of more affordable alternatives. If you can't afford lechon then get barbecue. If you want lechon then just get a kilo. Side note, also stay away from firecrackers because they too will add to expenses such as having to pay lawsuits for property damage or bodily damage. If better, start planning your Christmas feast while it's still early and MAKE SURE YOU SAVE MORE THAN YOU SPEND. That's just one way to avoid the post-holiday woes!
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