Few days before the most awaited holiday of the year, some people might already got their Christmas bonuses, some already bought Christmas presents and attended Christmas parties every now and then.
However, you might still be thinking where to celebrate and spend the Christmas vacation with your families aside from your go-to places, somewhere you can have extreme relaxation for your mind and soul as well as feel the presence of yuletide season everywhere you look.
Pampanga promises to have both, a province which bears two unbreakable titles as Christmas Capital and Culinary Capital of the Philippines. It never fails each and every weary heart to give the break it deserves and to have a taste of a world-class cuisine that no other place in the Philippines can compare.
This fast developing province knows the sweet spot where every tourists need to spend the most and important day of the year for all group of ages and have undeniably preserved the old practices and traditions of Christmas celebration in the country.
The famous and colorful giant lanterns made from City of San Fernando, Pampanga has entitled the province’s city to become the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.
According to the history written on the official website in City of San Fernando, Pampanga, the Christmas lantern or also called here as “Parul Sampernandu” has made the city of the province known not only in the country but around the world.
“The San Fernando lantern industry progressed from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its root in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was held. “Ligligan Parul” (Lantern Competition) was said to have started in San Fernando in the year 1904. But some say that the “Ligligan Parul” did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in 1908,” it added.
Compared to traditional Christmas lanterns being seen from many homes, Pampanga’s jaw-dropping giant lanterns are usually around 6 meters (20 feet) in diameter, holding up to 10,000 light bulbs.
Electricity to power the lights is run through wires attached to large steel cylinders that are turned manually by hand, in sync with background music which creates a complex harmonization of dancing lights and sounds.
For Giant Lantern Festival 2017 or “Ligligan Parul 2017” held last December 16 at the open parking space of Robinsons Starmills Pampanga, Barangay Dolores was again declared as champion for the fourth consecutive year among the 10 other participants from the villages in the City of San Fernando.
Aside from the awe-inspiring lanterns that can be seen anywhere in the province, its delectable and mouthwatering food, famous dishes like sisig and its delicacies can never be gone from the reasons why Pampanga is the perfect destination for Christmas.
It also owns the Clark International Airport for the province to be more accessible for international tourists.
Aside from the food and lanterns, travelers can also look forward to its people because Kapampangans are known to have beautiful faces and welcoming personalities.
Many provinces in the Philippines have imitated some Christmas activities, tried but failed to take the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines” title of the province because it was already engraved to the hearts and minds of the tourists that Pampanga will be the forever Christmas destination of the country.
