Parol: a Filipino Christmas lantern
Filipinos celebrate Christmas as early as September for as long the month ends in “ber” such as September, October, November, and December. Filipinos love to put Christmas decorations in display to bring in the festive mood of the season. In fact, the appearance of star-shaped lanterns sprawled along the street in the Philippines often signals the start of the yuletide season. The parol has become an iconic symbol of the Filipino Christmas as equally comparable to the Christmas tree in other cultures. These lanterns are called “parol” as a symbol of anticipation for the most wonderful time of the year for Filipinos like in any other countries.
Parols come in a variety of shapes and sizes having that distinct star-shaped pattern as the most commonly used design. Modern designs of the parols also include angels, Christmas trees, happy faces, Santa Claus’ face and beer or soda cans. The basic concept of parol lies in the source of light underneath its exterior wrought out of a casing made of bamboo sticks. The exterior of the lantern are translucent giving the fact that materials used are Japanese paper or colored plastic. The handmade lanterns are meticulously added with layers of these materials in addition to variety of stickers to create an illusion of contrast and depth despite of the only one source of light. Some lanterns employ a moving mechanism that exposes many sides to observers passing by. It only makes sense to find parol hung outside doors and windows in most homes that it certainly shine along the streets of the Philippines aglow with colorful designs for more than 3 months.
Parol making contest
Yearly competitions are regularly held particularly in Paskuhan Village in Pampanga, Philippines. You will see giant lanterns studded with colorful bulbs all over it. Each bulb is painstakingly arranged in such a way that the wires will touch a huge rotating wheel behind the lantern’s face at a particular synchronized timing. The timing is based on the location of the “catch wires” that connect with the individual bulb’s wires to light up the parol in time with the musical piece. The more than regularly sized parol have to be mounted on big trucks together with the power source, usually arrays of batteries in case no outlets are available. The basis of the competition is according to the synchronicity of their bulbs lighting with the music being played as well as the artistry applied on the lanterns. The annual event is a crowd-drawer in the Philippines thus costs millions to come up with.
The meaning behind the Filipino lantern
The parol is a showcase of the Filipino’s distinctive qualities of ingenuity, hospitality and passion for hope and peace. Ingenuity, because the materials used for parol are of different kinds. Some parols are made of indigenous materials such as bamboo, or a pliable wood called rattan. Some parols are also made of recycled materials such as plastic containers, newspapers, used canisters, empty bottles among others. Intricately designed parols are made from small sea shells can reach up to 5 feet in diameter alone. The parol is also a symbol for hospitality because the people who hung parols in their houses intend to welcome visitors during the Christmas season. Lastly, the parol is a symbol of the Filipino’s longing for hope and peace despite the commercial overtures and gift-giving rampantly obvious this season.
