BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 22. Coming from the Catholic-majority Philippines, where annual Christmas celebrations begin as early as September, Genevie Epana often finds herself reminiscing about the festivities back home during the holiday season, TurkicWorld reports via Arab News.
Since she started working in Qatar in 2015, homesickness always hits a little harder this time of the year.
“Because Qatar is mainly a Muslim country … Christmas is not a public holiday. And you won’t see a lot of Christmas decorations outside or on the streets,” she told Arab News.
“But we Filipinos, we find ways, right? We find ways to celebrate Christmas away from home.”
The 32-year-old sticks to Philippine traditions even far from home, such as setting up a Christmas tree and lights in September, when Filipinos embark on their four-month-long preparations to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
“You really have to come up with your own ways just to be able to feel that it’s already Christmas, including playing Christmas songs on YouTube,” Epana said.
With over 1.7 million overseas Filipino workers across Gulf Cooperation Council states, many use video calls and social media to connect with their loved ones during the holidays.
“For an OFW here, Christmas feels almost normal, like any other day. You go to work,” said Mario Balboa, a Filipino engineer working in Saudi Arabia.
But advances in technology have helped Filipinos cope with the distance.
“That’s actually a big improvement in terms of technology and social media. Because social media plays a big role, it becomes a bridge that helps you reconnect with old classmates and friends you are no longer in touch with. And you can now still celebrate Christmas with your family up close, even if it’s through video call,” Balboa told Arab News.
For Michelle Grita Villaluna, who has been working in Qatar for four years, Christmas carolers and lanterns across Philippine neighborhoods are what she misses the most during the holiday season.
She plays Christmas songs and makes holiday plans with friends to make up for the missing festivities, while looking forward to attending the midnight mass at the local church in Doha.
“There are those who sell food, native snacks from the Philippines like rice cake and ginger tea. So, you really just have to go to church if you want to feel the Christmas spirit, and especially if you miss the Philippines,” she told Arab News.
Every year on Christmas Eve, Villaluna will make a video call to the Philippines, just as her family gets together for Noche Buena, the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the season.
“That way you can still be part of the celebration even though you’re not physically present,” she said.
The same is true for Mark Bryan Dadivas, who will be away in the UAE during Christmas this year.
“I miss my son and daughter the most. Being away from them is the hardest part for me. I stay connected with my family through Messenger, video calls, especially on Christmas, so I can still see and talk to them despite the distance,” the 35-year-old told Arab News.
Like many other Filipinos across the Gulf, he will be spending Christmas with friends.
“We pool our money with friends, kababayans (fellow Filipinos), to buy food and fruits so we can have a simple but meaningful Christmas celebration together.”
Though these efforts help navigate the reality of being far from home, Christmas is when Filipinos miss home the most.
“I really miss everything. The fun of celebrating with your family and relatives, then there’s karaoke and games,” Jenny Segalowitz, a Filipino restaurant owner who runs her business in the UAE, told Arab News.
“But that’s life. It’s part of our sacrifice and pain because it’s the most important holiday for us Filipinos but … it’s really not the same as when you’re home in the Philippines.”
