Different Santa Claus figurines and plastic Santa figures are starting to be displayed in malls, stores and bazaars, a sign that Christmas is just around the corner.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Although Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of the Child Jesus, some, if not most Filipinos, have also embraced the practice of having a Santa Claus decor on houses and even the western practice of putting socks or stockings on fireplaces, but in our case — doors — since we don’t have fireplaces here.
Lucelle Collamat, 25, who is one of these people, said she always believed in Santa Claus since her father had told them about Santa Claus and the gifts he brings to children, especially those who are good on Christmas Day.
“So every Christmas, I put socks on our door because I believed he will give me gifts,” Collamat said.
She recalled her father telling her the story of Santa Claus riding on a sleigh every Christmas eve to deliver gifts to little boys and girls in his “nice” list around the world.
Collamat, who is now a teacher, said that since then their house would be incomplete if they did not have a Santa Claus as part of their Christmas decoration.
“Dili g’yud na puwede wala si Santa sa center sa among Christmas tree,” Collamat said.
(Santa Clause should always be at the center of our Christmas tree.)
Gem Justine Rivera, 26, a digital marketing writer, also said that it has been their practice to put Santa Claus as part of their Christmas decoration in their house.
“Kay mura sad siyag significant symbol sa Christmas. Sa una motoo g’yud ko nga mas nindot ang décor if naa si Santa,” Rivera said while laughing.
(He has a significant symbol during Christmas. I believed that our decoration is much better if Santa Claus is in it.)
The big man, who was also called Saint Nick, Father Christmas or Kris Kringle is portrayed as a stout white-bearded man in a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white cuffed red trousers and black leather belt and boots and who carries a bag full of gifts.
With Christmas just around the corner, Collamat and Rivera had also started to decorate their house with Christmas lanterns, Christmas trees, belens and, of course, Santa Claus decor.
However, for those Cebuanos, who had yet to decorate their houses with Christmas decors, they can either take out last year’s Christmas decor they kept to be used again to give their houses that Christmas spirit.
But for those who had yet to have decorations for their houses on Christmas, the malls have also started to display these items.
In fact, there are also bazaars, like the Espacio Christmas Bazaar, which provide those looking for the perfect Christmas decoration at a reasonable price.
The bazaar is what one may call a one-stop Santa shop, because one can have different types of Santa Claus toy models, figurines such as Santa Claus riding a motorbike, aboard a hot air balloon, sitting on a crescent moon, holding a guitar, doing paragliding, and serving baked treats, among others.
There are even Santa Claus figurines that fit the palm of the hand to one that is as high as four feet.
That is on top of other Christmas decorations like belen or nativity decorations and even figurines of the Three Kings.
Lyn Punay, the store attendant, said that the products all came from Luzon and their prices range from P190 to P3,000.
The bazaar is set up in a parking lot along Escario Street in Cebu City and will be there until December 23.