Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines

I absolutely love Christmas in the Philippines, where the holiday is the most celebrated event of the year. The Christmas Season starts in September with decorations going up in many parts of the country and ends in January after Three Kings' Day. Celebrating Christmas in the Philippines includes lots of food, laughter, family time, and of course, singing.

Filipinos love music and they love to sing and dance. It only seemed natural that people would develop their own Christmas carols to celebrate the season with Philippine flair. Below are the Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines that make up my list of favorites. Please note that the Philippines has eight major languages, but the main one is called Tagalog, so most of the songs listed are in that language. Clicking on the links will take you to a page where you can listen to a sampling of the song.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #1: Pasko Na Naman

This song loosely means, "It's Christmas Already", and features an upbeat, fast-paced tempo that you can't help but want to dance to. The song basically talks about how fast time flies and that it's Christmas already. It's relatable to everyone, and has an easy tune to remember. In fact, I learned the tune well before I learned the lyrics.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #2: Ang Pasko ay Sumapit

A traditional Filipino song that means, "Christmas has arrived", "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" celebrates the joy of the season and the birth of Christ. It encourages people to sing hymns, change their lives, work together, and love one another. Also upbeat and fast, it's a joyful song that brings images to my mind of people clapping to the music as it's sung by carolers in the streets.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #3: Christmas in Our Hearts

I fell in love with this song partly because it's in English and I didn't have to do any translations in my head. But it's a particularly feel-good song written by popular Filipino songwriters Rina Caniza and Jose Mari Chan.

The song begins with "Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns in the street, I remember the child in the manger as he sleeps" and goes on to remind everyone that the birth of Jesus is the real meaning of Christmas. It's a really touching song, and I get chills every time I hear it.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #4: Sa Paskong Darating

Practically every child in the world who celebrates Christmas has a song about Santa Claus. The Philippines is no different, and in "Sa Paskong Darating", which means "Christmas is Arriving", the singer plays Santa Claus to give children candies and all sorts of other goodies. What's not to love about this song?

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #5: Pasko Na, Sinta Ko

Some Filipino Christmas songs are sentimental and talk of missing loved ones during the holidays. Filipinos are a romantic people, and songs of lost love abound, even during the holidays. "Pasko Na, Sinta Ko" is one such song. Sung by one of the country's most popular artists, Gary Valenciano, the lyrics tell a sad tale of longing for an absent sweetheart during Christmas. Translated it asks, "It's Christmas now, my love. I'm looking for you, why did you leave me in resentment."

If I had know what the lyrics meant before I learned the song, I'm not sure I would have liked it so much. However, its melody is very pretty, and you can feel the intense emotion whenever the song is performed. It's one of the most popular Christmas songs in the Philippines.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #6: Silent Night in Tagalog

One of the things I love the most about traditional Christmas carols is hearing them sung in multiple languages. It gives you a sense that music is a universal language and translates emotions to everyone. "Silent Night" is one such hymn, as its simple melody can be translated into multiple languages. Hearing Silent Night in Tagalog brings tears to my eyes and makes me incredibly proud and homesick at the same time.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #7: 12 Days of Pinoy Krismas

I adore tongue-in-cheek parodies of any song, and this is one of them. "Pinoy" is slang for "Filipino", so the song "12 Days of Pinoy Krismas" lists the 12 gifts a Filipino would have gotten from their true love. In case you're curious, on the 12th day of "Krismas", my Filipino true love gave to me:

12 parols (star-shaped Christmas lanterns)
11 puppies (which also translates into someone who follows your wishes endlessly)
10 godchildren (which means having to buy lots of presents)
9 cases of beer (do I even need to explain this one?)
8 roasted pigs (a staple at any Filipino feast)
7 green pillows (we like our pillows)
6 sofas (we like our sofas too)
5 red balloons (um, I have no idea)
4 turtles (Filipinos use them in soup)
3 sacks of rice (a requirement for all Asian households)
2 umbrellas (Filipinos use one for shelter in the rain and one for shade from the sun)
1 new basketball (basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines)

It may not seem that funny to you, but that's why the phrase "lost in translation" comes to mind. I think it's hilarious.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #8: Mano Po, Ninong

I actually stumbled across this song while researching this article, but I include it here because it pays homage to one of my favorite Filipino traditions. Godfathers (ninongs) and godmothers (ninangs) play an important role in all aspects of a Filipino's life. They are present at baptisms, confirmations, and even weddings. From an early age, Filipino children are taught to press the back of their godparents' hands to their forehead as a sign of respect. This is called "mano". We will also "make mano" to any person who is our elder or holds a position which commands respect, such as our grandparents or priests. It is not only a sign of respect, but it is a way for the child to ask for a blessing from their elders. The song "Mano Po, Ninong" talks about respecting your godparents by making mano to them, and at the same time, asking them for a present. Typical children's song: I showed you manners, now where's my reward?

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #9: Paskong Anong Saya

Because the Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1898 to 1945, the English language is widely spoken in the country. It's the medium of instruction in many schools, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't speak the language. As a result, "Taglish" developed from combining many English phrases into the Tagalog language. As a Filipino-American who was not raised speaking Tagalog, Taglish has become my friend and has helped me survive many conversations in Manila. So it's no surprise that I love this Taglish song, which means "What a Fun/Happy Christmas". It's cute and upbeat, and I get to sing English phrases while mumbling the Tagalog ones.

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines #10: Noche Buena

Staying true to its history as a Spanish colony, the Philippines refers to Christmas Eve as Noche Buena. This traditional song talks about the food and celebration being prepared for Christmas Eve Dinner. As a culture that celebrates with a lot of food, what isn't to love about this song?

Top 10 Christmas Songs from the Philippines: Recap

I hope you've enjoyed my Top 10 picks for Filipino Christmas Songs. There are so many others out there, so feel free to visit TagalogLang.com for a wider sampling.

As we say in the Philippines, Maligayang Pasko, everyone!

Sources:

Wikipilipinas, "Top 10 Pinoy Christmas Carols", http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Top_10_Pinoy_Christmas_Carols

Tagalong Lang.com, "Pasko Na Naman", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/pasko-na-naman.html

Wikipedia.org, "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_Pasko_ay_Sumapit

Tagalog Lang.com, "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/ang-pasko-ay-sumapit.html

User jsoria30over2, "Christmas in our Hearts", YouTube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxrhE-Cf2c8

LyricsMode.com, "Christmas in Our Hearts lyrics", http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jose_mari_chan/christmas_in_our_hearts.html

Celeste Legaspi, "Sa Paskong Darating", imeem.com, http://www.imeem.com/kezicoh26/music/TIU0oTus/celeste-legaspi-sa-paskong-darating/

TagalogLang.com, "Pasko Na, Sinta Ko", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/pasko-na-sinta-ko.html

SilentNight.web.za, "Talang Patnubay (Pilipino.Tagalog), http://www.silentnight.web.za/translate/tagalog.htm

User Felinepaws, "Silent Night Tagalog Version", MySpace.com
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=47560466

Allthylyrics.com, "12 Days of Pinoy Krismas lyrics", http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/apo_hiking_society/12_days_of_pinoy_krismas-lyrics-1148488.html

Apo Hiking Society, "12 Days of Pinoy Krismas", http://www.imeem.com/doccidental/music/l53Ne5CB/apo-hiking-society-12-days-of-pinoy-krismas/

Tagaloglang.com, "Mano Po, Ninong", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/mano-po-ninong.html

TagalogLang.com, "Paskong Anong Saya", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/paskong-anong-saya.html

TagalogLang.com, "Noche Buena (Kay Sigla ng Gabi)", http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Christmas-Songs/noche-buena-kay-sigla-ng-gabi.html