BIGUEÑOS CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS JUBILANTLY AND SAFELY IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

   

    Christmas is the most awaited season celebrated by Christians. It is celebrated every 25th of December every year worldwide. It is a festival of joy and happiness that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. Preparations for Christmas start early for most people so that celebrations begin on the eve of Christmas. Preparations for Christmas involve a lot of activities. People usually buy decorations, food, and gifts mostly for children in the family and friends. Some families shop for matching Christmas outfits for everyone. People usually spend a lot on Christmas and so saving money for these plans should be the earliest preparation among all these. Families also plan to travel to stay together during this celebration period. Cards are also written to friends and family to wish them a happy holiday and to show love but because of the global epidemic, many things have changed.

    Clearly, the 2022 holiday season is unlike any other in modern history. The Center for Disease Control strongly recommended that people should not travel for Thanksgiving. Public health experts said that the safest, most prudent approach to the holidays this year is to stay home. Due to the pandemic, the City Government restricted the public to attend this year’s opening ceremony but instead have them witness it live online through the City’s official Facebook Page. Regardless of all the odds caused by the pandemic, the Christmas vibes in the Heritage City continuous as the annual Artes Ita Paskua of the City Government of Vigan got its way with the new normal set-up in which most of the events were done online and the others were with limited participants to comply into the Minimum Health Standards set by the City Covid-19 Task Force.

     To avoid mass gatherings while still enjoying the season, the City Events, Promotions, and Protocol Office directed barangay and home-based competitions such as the Inter-Barangay Christmas Installation Contest in which different barangays of the city displayed their Nativity Scenes, Christmas Trees, and other colorful and bright Christmas related decorations in their respective Barangay Halls and covered courts made of recycled mater. The judging of entries, as well as the awarding of winners, were done by visiting them personally in their barangays, in the end, the following was concluded as winners to receive cash prizes and trophies through CEPPO Edred Piamonte, City Treasurer Milagros Contreras, and City Assistant Treasurer Edwin Remigios.

    All in all, Christmas is such a festival which people from all religions and faith celebrate worldwide despite it being a Christian festival. It is the essence of this festival that unites the people so much. Christmas is fundamentally a reminder of why we should stay true to our humanity. Christmas reminds us of the importance of giving and sharing with friends and family. We know that the birth of Jesus marks the beginning of wonderful things in the world because of Christmas. It is often a time to reflect on nature and the cause of our existence. That is, we are admonished through celebration to share, give to the less privileged, spend time with loved ones, and have a happy view of life in general.

References:

http://vigancity.gov.ph/its-christmas-season-in-vigan-city/ 

http://vigancity.gov.ph/artes-ita-paskua-carries-on-amid-pandemic/

https://www.fnha.ca/about/news-and-events/news/celebrating-christmas-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

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