(Part 1)
Christmas time always stands out in our memory. It’s the coming together of everything we worked hard for and prayed for all year round. Noche buena is like an “after party” of the year gone by to thank God for all our blessings and triumphs.
I asked some celebrities to share their favorite Christmas memories. What’s yours?
After all the gifts have been opened, may you not lose sight of the intangible essentials, which I like to call “ChristMUST.”
CES DRILON
CES DRILON: My favorite memory is back in the day when, as a kid, I believed there was a Santa. My dad and mom told me that when I wake up on Christmas Day, maybe my wish for a toy stove would have been granted by Santa. I couldn’t sleep because of the anticipation. As soon as I woke up, I rushed to the Christmas tree and, lo and behold! There was a gift for me and it was exactly what I wished for. It was such a joyful moment!
As an adult, my favorite memory is that of my first Christmas after my abduction, when what mattered most was not material gifts but the togetherness of family and friends. I consider this my second lease on life.
EUGENE DOMINGO: Believe it or not, as far as I can remember, I just sleep during Christmas (ha ha ha!). My Christmas dream is to be able to celebrate it in Bethlehem.
JED MADELA
JED MADELA: As a kid, I remember, we would sneak out of our bedrooms before midnight to check if Santa had dropped off our gifts. I also can’t forget the time when I got my first computer.
As an adult, my favorite memory is when we spent an entire day at the home for the aged.
CHIQUI ROA-PUNO
KARYLLE: As a kid, Christmases in Baguio. Ukay-ukay before it was the fad. Picking up pine needles and picnicking in John Hay, padausdos (sliding down) with boxes, and Frisbee with cousins.
As an adult, it’s still Christmas picnics in Baguio. Napping after tug-of-war and sack race.
CHIQUI ROA-PUNO: Santa got caught stuffing our stockings on my sixth Christmas. Devastating but unforgettable.
KARYLLE
As a mom, my daughter’s first Christmas is most memorable. Sabrina was born on Dec. 15, 2006. She was a little over a week old for her first noche buena. For everyone in the family, no other Christmas gift mattered that year.