It is hard to imagine any Christmas celebration without the songs that have lived forever in the occasion. Especially for a country with a highly musical tradition like the Philippines, the sights are inseparable from the sounds whether you are in the province or condo living in Manila. Christmas is the happiest time of year. It is the best time to celebrate the blessings that life has to offer. Since Filipinos are known for their love of music, Tagalog and Western Christmas songs are a big part of the holiday celebration. It’s only the end of September and yet we could already hear these songs playing on a loop in shops, our houses, and even our heads. They may not be Jose Mari Chan’s "Christmas in our Hearts" but they nail the right balance of nostalgia and Christmas cheer. Here are the top songs that already have us singing and counting down the days to December 25 in Tagalog and English, ranging from traditional tunes to romantic songs.
Tagalog Carol Songs
Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit
Created by the legendary Filipino music composer Levi Celerio from the 1933 work of Filipino poet Vicente Rubi. It is a tradition in the Philippines to do Christmas caroling from September to December."Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit" is more than just a Christmas carol; it has become a national Christmas symbol for Filipinos. It can be heard from carolers or cumbancheros in the Philippines who go from house to house and sing Christmas songs in exchange for some coins or bills.
Pasko Na Sinta Ko
Composed by Dandan and Aurelio Estanislao and popularized by Gary Valenciano, “Pasko na Sinta Ko” is one of the most romantic Filipino Christmas songs as a ballad of hope. It portrays the singer's deep emotions as they're in the process of healing from a broken heart."Pasko Na Sinta Ko" has become the anthem of OFWs who spend their Christmas away from their families.
Himig ng Pasko
Himig ng Pasko is a hymn of how the Christmas season brings joy to almost everyone in the Philippines in December when the air becomes a little chilly and the view everywhere turns colorful and lively.
The tune of this song is certainly mellow, lending the feeling of charm to it.
Noche Buena
Noche Buena is the meal shared by a family after attending the late evening mass called Misa de Gallo. This is a traditional song about Filipinos' love and passion for food as the lyrics portray how a typical Filipino family celebrates a traditional Pinoy Noche Buena and makes the listener excited for Christmas Eve. It mentions delicious Filipino dishes served during the traditional dinner and shows how important is the commitment of Filipinos to gather during Christmas Eve's grand feast.
Kampana ng Simbahan
The song Kampana ng Simbahan is all about the bells in the Catholic churches in the Philippines. These bells ring in the wee hours of the morning to wake Filipinos up so they can go to Catholic dawn masses. Filipinos traditionally attend dawn masses that start as early as 3 a.m. each morning. This occurs from December 16 to December 24 every year.
Mano po Ninong, Mano po Ninang
The Christmas song in the Philippines for expressing gratitude for gifts that would be received from godfathers and godmothers is Mano po Ninong, Mano po Ninang.
This song is also about wishing for happiness, prosperity, luck, and peace. These are said to be priceless gifts for anyone.
Kumukutikutitap
A fast-beat and joyful Christmas song that Filipinos love is Kumukutikutitap, a song about the stars, star lights, and star lanterns that flicker, gleam, and shimmer during the yuletide season.
Pasko na Naman
A Christmas song about how eagerly Filipinos anticipate Christmas day is Pasko na Naman.
This song says that time flies and that soon people would again have to celebrate Christmas, a day when love reigns and people sing songs together.
Sa May Bahay ang Aming Bati
A favorite of kid carolers who sing Christmas songs for some favors is the upbeat Sa May Bahay ang Aming Bati. This song is actually a greeting of the cumbancheros for the people in the household and a request for the household members to hand over some coins in the spirit of Christmas giving.
Sana Ngayong Pasko
Yes, even melancholic Christmas songs about being alone can get stuck in our heads. It’s been revived far and wide from Sarah Geronimo to Jed Madela, but it’s the Ariel Rivera version that really tugs at the heartstrings. There, there. It’s okay. Ikain mo na lang ’yan.
English Carol Songs
Christmas in Our Hearts
An English Christmas song that has tugged at the heartstrings of millions of Filipinos is musician Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas in Our Hearts. This song is all about the true essence of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—and how the Filipinos honor the event by doing good things towards neighbors and families.
Boogie Woogie Christmas Day (VST & Co.)
VST & Co. take their disco seriously. The title track from their 1979 Christmas record is a wonderful splash of sunshine that loops one Taglish verse to a delightful effect, with the horns and harmonies surrounding and lilting it. “Boogie Woogie Christmas Day” brings back memories of long hair and bell-bottoms, of old-school dance parties and retro cars, a beautiful time bottled in one hell of a groove.
Fruitcake (Eraserheads)
Fruitcake, brandy, and Star margarine (or as Ely Buendia pronounces it the way kids did in the ‘90s: mar-ja-reen) are not the usual stuff on Filipino Christmas tables, but Eraserheads has always had a way of making disparities work. It is funny because it is serious (“There are b-sides to every story/If you decide to have some fun”) and because it references Jesus without mentioning his name (“It’s the season for being happy/But the reason is dead and gone”). It is also funny because it also seems tired of it all (“Everybody, everywhere, people do you really care/Christmastime has once again arrived”). Perhaps it is not really funny but just sad. Nevertheless, it fits the band’s image perfectly — particularly the sentiments seldom spoken out of politeness — and thankfully the hooks are raring to be yelled (“So take a bite! It’s all right!”).
Needless to say, all of these songs are singable, each with its characteristic appeal and attitude, each with its ability to cut across a variety of emotions and in its totality reveals lives brought together by the Yuletide season under its cloud of well-intentioned optimism. They have all been staples of radio airplay, at a time when radio was everywhere and indispensable, and for this reason, they also carry with them memories of a not-so-distant past.
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