By the time this article gets published, it would be 10 days before Christmas. As Catholic tradition would put it, it is now time for the Simbang Gabi. I am sure that by the mere mention of the term, some readers would be filled with vivid memories of having attended even a single day of mass right before the break of dawn.According to the Roman Catholic Church, Simbang Gabi is one of the longest and most popular among Filipino traditions in the country. It is actually a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother. The novena begins on December 16 as early as 3:30am and culminates with the Misa de Gallo (literally meaning Rooster’s Mass) on Christmas Eve. In some churches, the panuluyan is even reenacted showing the effort of Joseph and Mary to find a suitable birthplace.
The Simbang Gabi tradition could be traced to Mexico, way back in 1587. It is said that the Pope had granted the petition of Fray Diego de Soria, prior of the convent of San Agustin Acolman, to hold Christmas mass outdoors because the Church could not accommodate the huge number of people attending the evening mass. Farmers as well as fishermen would wake up early to hear the Gospel before going to their work, and ask for the grace of good harvest. In most Spanish speaking countries, Simbang Gabi entails a typical midnight mass starting at around 12 midnight.
The custom in the Philippines started during the Spanish colonial period when priests held early dawn masses for the farmers who would want to attend Christmas mass but could not leave their fields. It is an expression of devotion. A commonly-held belief is that if an individual completes the nine consecutive days of Simbang Gabi, the act would merit a wish made by the devotee being granted.
But Simbang Gabi would not be complete without the traditional delicacies that await churchgoers shortly after mass. The most popular is, of course, the puto bungbong, puto (rice cakes) and bibingka. I am not sure whether there are stalls that still sell salabat (ginger tea) or common green tea because most Filipino nowadays prefer coffee hot choco. Also, with convenient stores such as 7-11 and fastfood outlets just around the corner, some would rather choose to dine-in and eat donuts or burgers.
In some urban areas, the Misa de Gallo is celebrated around 8-9 in the evening to accommodate the needs of members of the community who have different work schedules. Here in San Pablo City, many kubol (make-shift chapels) in barangays celebrate Simbang Gabi the same way, or during the night.
The Church declared that majority of those who attend Simbang Gabi come from the youth sector. While many elders retort that it is now being used as a dating place, the former optimistically looks at it as a way to reach out to teen-agers. But it is not only the plaza or the churches which are filled with people during and after mass. Visit Sampaloc Lake this time of year and from the park to around the lake, it is littered with church-goers.
Majority of Filipinos are religious, if not devout. The importance of the church has been debated over-and-over again. Even the separation of the church and state has been elucidated in political affairs. Its clout, however, could not be denied. It is closely related to tradition. While Winston Churchill proclaimed that, “A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, but strengthened nations in the hour of their peril,” Woody Allen said that, “Tradition is the illusion of permanence.”
But there is a compromise I see in these two opinions. Traditions are used to strengthen an institution, a tool or something to look forward to. As a practice, its continuation is its survival. The illusion of permanence has always been there for nothing is constant except change. Indeed, tradition is changing in the way we look at it, the way it is being celebrated, and the way society accepts it as a whole.
The Archdiocese of Manila said that Simbang Gabi is a significant moment not only because it strengthens relationships among family members but also because it is a time where faith is intensified. They even added that it does not matter if one has the stamina to complete the novena or not, what really matters is what is inside the heart. The blessing does not depend on the number of mass attended, but what is important is the disposition of the person who receive the Lord’s blessing. This is a more liberal approach as compared to the old days when the prayle is said to knock on doors of people to compel them to attend and complete the nine-day period.
Simbang Gabi, as any other tradition, is an event where memories are collected and collated. Waking-up early; feeling the very cold morning breeze; the aromatic greetings of kakanin; and meeting with friends or family members.
Christmas is indeed just around the corner.
