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Holidays in Philippines


Holidays in Philippines

The Philippines is a multicultural country having Christian, Muslim and Chinese holidays aside from secular holidays. The year is welcomed by New Year's Day on January 1, being a predominantly Catholic country means observing the traditional Catholic holidays of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday during Lent or months around April or May, Araw ng pagkabuhay or Easter Sunday is celebrated 3 days after Good Friday. Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, Boy scouts reenact the march every 2 years in honor of this day that is also known as Bataan Day, they march as long as 10 kilometers, the Bataan Death March was part of the Bataan Battle which was also part of the Battle of the Philippines, the Bataan Death March was a 60 Kilometer march and the people who participated in this march were captured, tortured and murdered. All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. In recognition of the Muslim Filipinos, the Islamic feast of Eid-Al-Fitr (known in the Philippines as Hari Raya Puasa), held after Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, is also a national holiday. This day changes year by year, as it follows the Lunar Calendar. Chinese New Year is also celebrated by the Chinese Community but dates vary according to the lunar calendar. Secular holidays include Labor Day (May 1) and Independence Day (June 12). August 30 is declared National Heroes Day. Some holidays also commemorate national heroes such as Jose Rizal (Dec. 30) and Andres Bonifacio (Nov. 30) as well as Ninoy Aquino (August 21). Metro Manila is less congested during Holy Week as people tend to go to their hometowns to spend the holidays there. Holy week is also considered part of the super peak season for most beach resorts such as Boracay and the most popular ones tend to get overcrowded at this time. Due to its cool mountain weather, Baguio is also where a lot of people spend the Holy Week break. Christmas is widely celebrated on December 25. Dates
  • New Year's Day - January 1
  • Maundy Thursday - Varies
  • Good Friday - Varies
  • Easter Sunday - Varies
  • Araw Ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) - April 9
  • Labor Day - May 1
  • Independence Day - June 12
  • Ninoy Aquino Day - August 21
  • National Heroes Day - Last Monday of August
  • All Saints Day - November 1
  • All Souls Day - November 2
  • Eid Ul Fitr (Hari Raya Puasa) - Varies according to lunar calendar
  • Eid Ul Adha - Varies according to lunar calendar
  • Bonifacio Day - November 30
  • Christmas Day - December 25
  • Rizal Day - December 30
  • Last Day of the Year - December 31

  • The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Philippines

    Christmas: The Filipino Way

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    Filipinos are very Catholic; Christmas is celebrated from September till Epiphany, go and have Noche Buena with a Filipino family; Filipinos don't mind strangers eating with them in their dining table as this is customary during Fiestas, try out Hamon(ham) and Keso De Bola. Caroling is widely practiced by the youth around the Philippines, they'll appreciate if you give them at least 5-10 pesos. Don't miss the Misa Del Gallo; Early Mass or Simbang Gabi in Tagalog meaning Night Mass, this tradition was passed down from the Spanish, masses usually are held either on Midnight or before dawn, after this Filipinos eat Kakanin or rice cakes and Bibingka that are sold outside churches and also drink Tsokolate; hot chocolate or eat Champurado; hot chocalte porridge. Parols; Star of Bethlehem lanterns are hanged in front of houses, commercial establishments and streets, a Giant Lantern Festival is held in Pampanga. Belens or Nativities are displayed in city halls and/or commercial establishments. This is an experience, one shouldn't miss if he/she is travelling in the Philippines.


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    Philippines Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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