Constellation of Stars

Complete darkness wrapped the whole place on that moon-lit Friday night when, as the hours leading to the first day of December looms, the Queen of Apostles College and Seminary opened its door to us to witness the tradition that has spanned years of delicate and meticulous art of making parols, perhaps the well-revered Christmas icon of the Filipinos second to the belen.

Quite ironically, the bright sky on that night brought by the romantic moon didn’t offer a vista of little, twinkling, and sometimes falling, astronomical dots. What I saw instead are big ones that are very well-decorated with indigenous and recyclable materials that are brought to life by lights of different colors in the spectrum. Had I been so crazy, I would have thought some of the stars up above camped in this part of the world! 

Past a dark and eerie driveway bordered on the sidelines by old, towering trees is the great seminarians’ abode, home to the future gatekeepers of the Catholic church. These people are also the young men who carried on the tradition of putting up giant lanterns not just for the sake of having it, but to remind themselves and the faithful community in general, of the great celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Through their artistic collaboration to produce such amazing lanterns, they were able to bring such magnitude of joy eminent during the holidays. 

This tradition traces its roots way back in the year 1996, according to the dean of the seminary and our host for that night, Rev. Fr. Emerson delos Reyes. In the past years, he said, belens (or nativity diorama) add up to the hype of the seminary’s Christmas tradition other than the giant lanterns. In recent years, they shifted their focus on the latter, with seminarians organized in several groups thinking of different sets of designs every year in a competition that has meted their calibre for arts and design.

In the seminary’s gymnasium, about ten giant Christmas icons were on display, each having distinct and intricate designs that are rich with meanings and symbolisms. 

One particular design that caught my attention was the smiling snow man, the famed symbol of a White Christmas everybody in the Philippines is dreaming--that kind of moment when you wake up on a bright Christmas morning with falling snow outside your window and freckles across your nose. This particular fixture stands smiling beside an old ship adorned with a cross and a handful of stars, made more vibrant by the tiny dots of yellow lights.

The group’s representative would later explain its meaning as such: The snow man represents the imperial West and the decline of faith in that spot of the world. On the other hand, the sacred mission of spreading the Word is ably represented by the old ship, with exterior made of envelopes urging the faithful to support the missionaries in the different parts of the globe. This is of primary importance since the year 2012 is assigned as the year of faith by the Catholic church. In a briefer posted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in their website, the Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion – to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. The “door of faith” is opened at one’s baptism, but during this year, Catholics are called to open it again, walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church. 

The recent addition of another Filipino to the Canons of Saints is also celebrated by this largely Christian country. Saint Pedro Calungsod—the second Filipino saint after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz—is also a missionary who was killed in the line of duty. 

Aside from this, the sight of belens of different interpretations is also a sight to behold in the designs of the displayed giant lanterns along Seminary Drive. 

With just a few weeks to prepare in between their busy academic life, the seminarians were able to craft wonderful pieces of art from a tapestry of resources, be it recycled or indigenous materials found inside the seminary. And sometimes, from their respective homes. But with the kind of product they produced, no wonder if it would be a hit among locals here.

The City of Tagum, known for its love for culture and the arts, is beaming with colorful lights during the holidays. This is very well evident when its famed giant holiday tree (measuring 110 feet this year) comes to life. People from all walks of life gather at the holiday tree that stands tall and mighty in the Freedom Park which is at the central part of the bustling city. The parols in the seminary would surely be a big crowd-drawer too, making more people appreciate the real meaning of these Christmas icons behind those designs and amazing lights. There’s a certain festival in Pampanga where the locals put into spotlight their humungous parols. I cannot fathom why we can’t do the same in this city where once the impossible is turned into stunning possibilities. 

As soon as these parols were lighted up, darkness was soon replaced with eagerness and hope—fitting symbolisms the parol represent. The Scripture pointed out that it was the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men in their search for baby Jesus. So when you see a constellation of stars in a dark night, think of the better days that lie ahead.

May the stars of Christmas, whether hanged in your respective homes or in the streets, remind you of hope, of new beginnings and happiness that Christmas bring. Merry Christmas!

Louie.