Comments on: The Feast of the Epiphany / Three Kings / Araw ng Tatlong Hari

By: corrine

corrine — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:14:18 +0000

What a lovely “BELEN” and the memories that go with it.

PanchoA, thanks for reminding us of the significance of the 3 Kings’ gifts.

By: joey

joey — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:24:35 +0000

That’s the way it was for us…Three Kings being a bigger deal, gift-wise, than Christmas! Santa didn’t even visit us!

By: Marketman

Marketman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:13:05 +0000

Lava Bien, yes, I think it could be the 5th episode so I will post the data if I get confirmation. This is good news for folks in the States, in the Philippines, we won’t see it for several months more… :)

By: Lava Bien

Lava Bien — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:26:33 +0000

Your stint with Anthony Bourdain could be on Jan. 26th or Feb.2nd. I’ve checked the sched for US showing (usually MOnday Nights) and Philippines is not on list for the Jan 5th, 12th or 19th showing.
Waiting, waiting, waiting patiently………

By: sylvia

sylvia — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:13:12 +0000

This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. When we were growing up, we would put our shoes by the window the night before and the Three Kings would leave us money. I always looked forward to this day that marks the end of the Christmas season…bittersweet. You get money but you have to start putting away all the decorations. Now I am passing on the tradition to my 2 little ones.

By: marissewalangkaparis

marissewalangkaparis — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:56:44 +0000

We lived in Baguio for sometime when I was young and like you,we always had a big Belen BESIDE the chimney and of course,the fresh Pinetree. Our figurines looked a lot like yours and I now wonder where or to whom they went.Both my parents have passed away and reading this brought back memories (big sigh). More importance was given to the Belen than the Christmas tree and now–since you wrote on this–I realize that is really what we too should be giving more importance too-the coming of the Baby Jesus!! We also had shoes by the Chimney which were filled with chocolates when we woke up…sigh…sigh…So we were not alone in celebrating that way….
Thanks MM for helping us relive the wonderful past…Happy New Year!!

By: eej

eej — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:29:07 +0000

Hmmm,this is quite an interesting tradition. My family never celebrated this as all christmas decorations go inside several red bins directly to storage by Jan. 2nd. I’ve heard of Three Kings celebration but didn’t realize shoes and candies were involved.

By: sister

sister — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:09:07 +0000

Two size 13 and one size 9 shoe are waitng for the Three Kings by the front door, never mind that the owners are close to 3 decades or over old. So in goes chocolates, toiletries, and spices for their kitchens!

By: tipat

tipat — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:46:13 +0000

Yup, my mom had several sheep, cows, shepherds… anything she could find to fit the nativity scene. She only had one angel tho and that was always placed on top of the make shift “kubo”.

By: consol

consol — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:24:37 +0000

Oh dear MM, this post surely brought back fond memories!

When I was a child, my family used to live in our lola’s house in Sta.Ana, Manila. It was the old-type house with capiz windows and bamboo shades, stone steps and a ‘silong.’ The night before the Feast of the Three Kings, we siblings would put a shoe each on the ‘pasamano’ or the window ledge where the sliding window ‘shutters’ traverse. Since there wasn’t room for the grass or hay for the ‘camels,’ one of us would just leave a crude scribbled letter stating where the grass could be found (in the garden?!). The following morning, we would all rush to the shoes and gleefully check what goodies the Three Kings left for us. More often than not, there would be chocolates and candies; toy gifts were reserved solely for Christmas. This occasion is a perfect cap to the holidays. But it always left behind a tinge of sadness, for now it was time to take down the lights and belen and decor, and put them away for another year. *sigh*

Thanks for always being there, dear MM. You are a blessing to us all.