I vividly remember going to church during the first week of September, seeing the streets slowly illuminate with colorful parols. The air felt alive, and my only responsibility was figuring out what I wanted to receive from my godparents.
Fast forward to today, and seeing those same parols light up often brings a wave of mental math instead of pure wonder. Suddenly, we are calculating Noche Buena expenses, balancing end-of-year work deadlines, and trying to secure the perfect gifts for everyone on our list. That realization makes the nostalgia feel heavy, and the holidays feel different.
If you have been staring at a beautifully decorated tree and feeling a strange sense of longing for the way things used to be, you are definitely not alone in missing that childhood spark.
Exploring the generational and economic shifts.
We often catch ourselves wondering if this feeling is an exclusive experience for our generation. Are we simply too burned out by the constant hustle to enjoy the festivities? The truth is that an undeniable economic shift is also at play.
Celebrating a grand Filipino Christmas takes significant resources. As working women, we feel the weight of inflation every time we scan the grocery aisles for fruit salad ingredients or budget our hard-earned bonuses. The pressure to provide a beautiful experience for our families can easily overshadow the pure joy we used to feel.
Stepping into the role of the magic maker.
Beyond the economy, a major part of this transition is simply growing up. When we were children, the magic of the “ber” months simply happened to us. The house magically smelled like lechon, the gifts appeared, and the reunions were seamlessly organized.
Now, as adults, we are the ones doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes. We are the designated planners, the budget managers, and the exhausted ninangs trying to keep the traditions alive. Suddenly, you realize that creating that magic Christmas has simply transferred into our hands. And it comes with the responsibility for creating it.
Transitioning from the receiver of the holiday spirit to the provider is exhausting, and it is entirely valid to mourn the days when all you had to do was show up and celebrate.
Reclaiming your festive spark this season.
Embracing this new era of adulthood means we get to set the rules. You have the power to decide which traditions actually bring you joy and which ones you can gracefully leave behind. Maybe hosting a massive family reunion gathering feels too heavy this year, but organizing an intimate Christmas Eve dinner with your family after simbang gabi feels incredibly restorative. Redefining the season is about actively choosing where to spend your energy.
Finding joy in your current chapter.
Growing up changes how we experience the holidays. Because we’re blending the beautiful nostalgia with the reality of adult responsibilities. The effortless wonder of our childhood might be in the past, but we now have the beautiful opportunity to craft celebrations that genuinely serve our well-being.
Because as much as it feels like everything has changed, we still have the privilege to see beauty in the small things we can do. Things don’t have to be as grand as before. Maybe celebrating the holidays meant celebrating days of rest; maybe it meant a small and intimate offering to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Maybe the magic of Christmas never really went away. Maybe magic just looks different now.
