First Day of 'Simbang Gabi' (Early Morning Mass)

One of the most important part of celebrating Christmas in the Filipino community is to attend the ‘Simbang Gabi’. This is a mass held in the wee hours of the morning around 3-5am. It’s a series which will last for 9 days, which starts December 16th until the 24th or Christmas Eve. They say that we you get to complete attending all 9 masses, you can make a wish and it will come true. For the past 12 years, I have been trying to complete it, but I have never done it. Why? Well, 6 years out of those 12 were spent working at call centers, where my shift starts at night and ends in the morning. So there. And the remaining 6, well, let’s just say I sometimes oversleep or I sleep at midnight and can’t wake up in time for mass. This year, me and my Bubby decided that we wanted to complete all 9 days. The church is just a stone’s throw away from the house, so we can be there in less than 10 minutes. BUT, again, I failed. I was wide awake until around 1AM this morning, so it was already 9AM when I woke up. I am disappointed, very disappointed in fact, because I was really keen on completing it this year. It’s not that I wanted to make a wish, but it’s something that I think will further strengthen the bond between me and my Bubby.