Christmas is never just a date on the calendar. It is a season of light, memory, and meaning; its essence is carried in long-held traditions and in personal journeys that shape how each of us experiences it. Whether we celebrate in a modest living room or in a lively festive street halfway across the world, Christmas grounds us in what is true, good, and enduring. Over the years, my own celebrations have unfolded across continents, cultures, and circumstances, revealing the extraordinary capacity of this season to adapt, console, connect, and transform.
Yet beneath all these layers lies the heart of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, the Light who entered a world longing for hope. It is His Light that gives meaning to every Christmas memory I hold.
The Light of Christ
My most memorable Christmases were never marked by grandeur, lavish decorations, or mountains of gifts. They were quiet evenings at home with a simple Christmas tree, an old nativity set, familiar dishes on the table, and family gathered in prayer, and after, some TV. Nothing extravagant. Nothing staged. Just presence. These moments taught me that Christmas becomes magical when we pay attention to the ordinary.
Over the years, I began to see Christmas not as the peak of festivity but as a gentle pause in life’s relentless rhythm, a moment to breathe, reflect, and notice how much has changed over the year.
Christmas embodies hope, the hope rooted in the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world. His arrival in a humble manger carries the promise of peace, renewal, and love. His light continues to shine in our lives, giving meaning to hardship and illuminating our path forward.
With hope comes gratitude. Christmas invites us to look back at the joys, struggles, and lessons that shaped us. It calls us to cherish simplicity and recognise the profound in everyday life. Through hope and gratitude, the Light of Jesus transforms even the smallest moments into something meaningful and sacred.
While its meaning remains constant, Christmas wears a unique face wherever it is celebrated. Each place I have lived revealed its own expression of the season, some extravagant, others subtle, all deeply meaningful.
In the Philippines, Christmas is a dazzling marathon of joy. From September, homes, malls, and streets shimmer with decorations. Christmas music fills the air, and from 1st December, carollers roam house to house. The aroma of bibingka and puto bumbong awakens the senses after simbang gabi, the nine-day Novena Masses at dawn leading to Christmas. There are parties, reunions, and exchange gifts on a daily basis. It is festive, loud, warm, and unmistakably Filipino.
On cruise ships, Christmas followed a different rhythm for crew members. With no chapel, tight schedules, and everyone working, observing the season was a challenge. Yet Filipino crew members and Christian communities bring Christmas to life through impromptu gatherings, shared meals, and quiet moments of prayer. Of course, gifts and food were aplenty. Even at sea, Christmas keeps its heartbeat.
In communist China, Christmas is largely commercial through festive lights, street decorations, shopping, parties and gift giving. I remember receiving boxes of apples which I readily shared with other people. Churches may be few, but where they exist, there is a Mass, a beautiful nativity scene, and carols by the choir to celebrate the season.
In Vietnam, a socialist republic, Christmas is vibrant, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. The Nguyen Hue walking street dazzles with lights, decorations, and music. The Notre Dame Cathedral holds Masses with choirs in their ao dai singing Christmas carols. Where we lived, there was a small community that celebrated Christmas. I remember receiving Christmas cards, something that we no longer give or receive nowadays.
In Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, Christmas is gentler. Church choirs rehearse for weeks, parishes host concerts and charity events, and open houses invite neighbours of all backgrounds to celebrate together. From Alor Star and Penang to Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, and Port Dickson, I have experienced the same multicultural harmony woven into every celebration. The spread of food is an amazing diversity of flavours, curries of different types, Asian infused western desserts, roast chicken, dumplings, and kuihs are all served on one table.
Across these diverse landscapes, one truth stands clear: Christmas is adaptable. It thrives in abundance and simplicity, in crowds and quiet corners. Its message of love, peace, and goodwill crosses borders effortlessly, just as Jesus’ Light that penetrates and continues to shine around the world.
Tradition, Change, and Growth
As time passes, Christmas evolves with us. Carefree days gave way to parenthood, loved ones grow older, some passed on, others moved out, and the meaning of togetherness transforms. Yet, the essence of Christmas remains constant. Beneath the layers of change, we find the Light of Jesus.
Christmas has become a mirror, reflecting who I have been and who I hope to become. It's a quiet miracle that lies in holding past, present, and future together in a single breath. Christmas allows us to honour old memories, create new ones, and step into the coming year with hearts softened by gratitude and strengthened by hope.
Whether celebrated in a bustling Filipino neighbourhood, on a ship at sea, in wintery corners of China, along Vietnam’s festive streets, or within Malaysia’s multicultural embrace, Christmas remains a joy that does not depend on abundance, and its meaning does not depend on perfection.
Christmas is a season of light, Jesus’ light that is steady, gentle, and enduring. He invites us to slow down, remember, and open our hearts to rediscover the true meaning of the season: Jesus, who came into the world as Light and hope, meeting us where we are, and journeying with us wherever we go.
