The New Canadians

Parol Christmas Lanterns

After the James Bond 007 Inclusion Office Party,  I attended another Christmas function. This time, it is  a Low Budget yet High Energy Christmas Party by  a Filipino community group.  We each paid $10 (about US$9.50) per person  for the party. This included hall rental, catered food, door prizes, christmas decorations and entertainment.  This party has just proven that you can have fun without spending a lot of money.

There were many different kinds of color lanterns hung up in the ceiling.    It was a multi-generational party. Adults and kids alike  played games together. There was plenty of laughter.

This is an entirely different experience from my 007 Licensed to Kill Christmas Party.   It renewed a warm- fuzzy-nostalgia Christmas feeling inside me.  I liked it.

It also got me nterested in the Parol lanterns and I wanted to find out how the Parol tradition came about.   Here’s what I found out and   I’d like to share with you the Parol (Star of Bethlehem) tradition and history.

The Parol Christmas lantern which originated during the Spanish occupation in the Philippines has become an iconic symbol of Christmas celebration in the Philippines.

Though not strictly a custom, every Christmas season, Filipino homes and buildings are adorned with beautiful star lanterns, called parol (Span. farol, meaning lantern or lamp-Merriam Webster - English English- Spanish Dictionary). The earliest parols were traditionally made from simple materials like bamboo sticks, Japanese rice paper (known as “papel de Hapon”) or crepe paper, and a candle or coconut oil-lamp for illumination; although the present day parol can take many different shapes and forms. The most base form of the lantern is a 5-pointed star with two “tails” at the lower two tips. Other variations are 4, 8, 10 pointed stars with the rarer 6, 16 and so on pointed stars. The parol is also traditionally made of lacquered paper and bamboo, but others are made of cellophane, plastic, rope, capiz shell and a wide variety of materials. Making parols is a folk craft, and most Filipino kids have tried their hand at making a parol at one time or another, maybe as a school project or otherwise. The most basic parol can be easily constructed with just ten bamboo sticks, paper, and glue. These lanterns represent the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings (Tatlong Hari in Tagalog). Parols are to Filipinos as Christmas trees are to Westerners- an iconic and beloved symbol of the holiday.