Even before the 100-day countdown: Why Christmas starts early in PH

MANILA, Philippines — Even before September arrives, signs of Christmas begin appearing in the Philippines, with malls decked out in glittering lights and holiday decorations and homes taking on a festive glow.

In places such as Dapitan and Divisoria in Metro Manila, Christmas comes even earlier, with stalls overflowing with ornaments, gifts and other holiday wares.

A man walks past Christmas decorations at a market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Sept. 4, 2026. AFP

For Filipinos, Christmas does not wait for December. It arrives months ahead, woven into the sights, sounds and preparations of everyday life.

The early start reflects the cooler “ber” months, Filipino culture’s emphasis on children and family, and the practical value of having more time to prepare.

‘Brr’ in ‘ber’

According to anthropologist Dr. Nestor Castro, the early arrival of Christmas in the Philippines is closely tied to how Filipinos associate the holiday season with the cooler months of the year.

Christmas is celebrated from December through the first days of January, and over time, the cooler weather has become intertwined with the festivities, Castro explained in an interview with Inquirer.

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By September, the air has begun to cool, becoming even colder as December approaches. This, he said, is one reason Christmas traditions begin to appear months before the holiday itself.

This is also where the Filipino term “ber months” comes in.

The final four months of the year — September, October, November and December — are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “ber months,” Castro said. He noted that the term is also a play on the sound “brr,” an expression associated with feeling cold.

As a result, customs associated with Christmas extend into the months leading up to December.

A vendor prepares the traditional holiday rice cake puto bumbong outside Baclaran Church in Metro Manila in 2022. AFP

These include putting up parols or lanterns, eating seasonal treats such as bibingka and puto bumbong, and displaying belen or Nativity scenes.

Love for children

But the early arrival of Christmas is not only about the weather or traditions.

Castro also pointed to the importance of Christmas to Filipinos, which he said is partly rooted in Filipino culture’s strong emphasis on children.

He noted that the Filipino word “mag-anak,” commonly used to refer to a family, literally carries the idea of having children.

In this sense, Christmas — a celebration centered on the birth of the infant Jesus in a manger — becomes a “symbolic reflection of our love for children,” Castro said.

Vendors wait for customers at Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Grig C. Montegrande, Philippine Daily Inquirer

The celebrations themselves often revolve around children, from buying them gifts to spending time with them over meals or trips to the cinema.

Children walk past Christmas lanterns on display along a street in Manila. AFP

This child-centered nature of the holiday also helps explain why preparations begin so early.

Planning before the rush

For sociologist Bro. Clifford Sorita, the long lead-up to Christmas also offers Filipinos something valuable: time.

The anticipation, particularly during the 100-day countdown to Christmas, creates a “sense of urgency” that can encourage people to plan, prepare and prioritize, Sorita said in a column.

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“In avoiding the ‘Christmas Rush,’ our early preparations in the Ber months allow us to properly plan, prepare and prioritize. Highly productive people take the time to think, plan and set priorities,” he said.

Having a sense of urgency, Sorita added, does not simply mean moving faster.

“Having a sense of urgency certainly suggests speed, but it also brings with it a sense of commitment and an attention to what matters most,” he said.

The months-long anticipation, therefore, can serve a practical purpose: It gives people more time to prepare for a celebration that can otherwise become overwhelming.

Calming Christmas anxieties

The expectations surrounding Christmas can also make the season a source of stress, anxiety and disappointment.

For some Filipinos, the pressure to meet social expectations — from elaborate decorations and food to gifts and family gatherings — can turn the season into a demanding one.

Sorita said celebrating Christmas early can help Filipinos become more proactive in their holiday preparations.

“By celebrating early the Christmas Season, during the Ber months, a Filipino becomes proactive in his or her holiday planning that can turn an otherwise stressful Christmas season into an enjoyable and memorable one,” he said.

Beyond practical preparations, the anticipation of Christmas can also nurture a deeper sense of hope.

“Anticipating Christmas from the horizon of the Ber months allows us to open up to new possibilities in the spirit of hope,” Sorita said, referring to the Christian belief that the eternal God came to earth in human form to save his creation.

“God is with us,” he added.

More time for what matters

Ultimately, celebrating — or at least anticipating — Christmas months before December may give Filipinos something more important than extra time to shop or decorate.

It “gives us more time to do the essential things before Christmas,” Sorita said.

Being consumed by preparations — decorating, preparing food and buying gifts — can sometimes cause people to lose sight of what matters most during the season, he added.

“Being lost in all our Christmas preparations — decorating, food, gift buying — might result in neglecting the ‘essentials’ of the season,” Sorita said.

“Faith, family and friends must always characterize the Filipino Christmas Season. Our long Christmas Season allows the faith and family centric Filipino society more time to reunite and be together,” he added.

In the Philippines, Christmas does not simply arrive on Dec. 25.

It begins with the first “ber” month, grows with every parol hung, every belen displayed and every gift prepared, and builds toward a season that Filipinos have learned to anticipate long before the calendar says it is time.

For a country known for having one of the world’s longest Christmas seasons, the celebration may not be about rushing Christmas forward.

It may simply be about having more time to prepare — and more time to be together. /dm