Unforgettable simbang gabi

I do not know how you call it but Simbang Gabi, Misa de Gallo, dawn masses or night masses have already started. It is a nine day devotional mass that Filipino Catholics would attend in anticipation for Christmas.

Ever since I started being curious, I was always curious as to why they call it "simbang gabi". Simba is the root word for simbahan which means church in English while gabi in English translation is night. By the words itself, you would instantly say that people go to church during night for simbang gabi. However, growing up the simbang gabi that I was familiar to starts at dawn of December 16-24. It was only a few years ago when I found out that there are really night masses for simbang gabi. LOL. Still why is it called simbang gabi? Oh why am I so bothered with it? LOL. What time do you prefer to hear simbang gabi? During night or dawn? Got any memorable simbang gabi experience?

I think I was in second year college when I first went to attend simbang gabi. I was wirh my mom during that time. Back then our subdivision was not strict with who can go to church so it was jampacked with non-residents. It was hard to get a seat but my mom would always look for seats. I admit that there were times that I was excited to go to church because I would go boy hunting. LOL.

That time when I was looking around, I saw my friend's cousin. He was my crush when I was in high school so seeing him inside the church made my heart flutter. Even with only a few hours of sleep, I was so energized. I know I was not able to sleep after the mass so I just got ready for school. Simbang gabi was the topic amongst my blockmates but all I can share with them is that I saw my crush. LOL. It was during that time that I found out that if you have completed the nine masses, you can make a wish and that will come true. I do not know if it was true but of course it made me more determined to finish what I have started. Do you also know about that?

So the following day, I saw him again and the day after. There were days when I was not able to see him but I saw his car parked outside. I told my friend about it and she said that it was my chance that I should make a move to get a little closer to him but of course the conservative side of me was already happy of making stolen glances. And then it was time for school break. I forgot the reason but my mom and I suddenly had to go to our relatives in South. You want to know the first thing that I was worried about? It is when I would not be able to see him or his car. My mom and I was still able to had simbang gabi in a different church. I do not know if it still counts for a wish but I did made a wish though I just forgot about what I wished for. LOL. Come Christmas day and we were already back home, when I heard mass that day I saw my friend who visited her relatives in our subdivision and this friend is the cousin of my crush. She told me that she attended one simbang gabi in our church and ahe was looking for me and her cousin but she did not see the both of us. I told her that my mom and I had suddenly went to South and all I can think of during is that I won't be seeing her cousin but as it turns out, the 2 of us were not there. My friend was teasing me that it was meant and we were meant to be. LOL. Too bad that he did not like me nor did he even courted me. He's already married now and with 3 kids.

Well that was my unforgettable simbang gabi story. Were you expecting something like I dated someone and went to hear mass together during those nine days? Well I haven't experience that yet but I am hoping someday that I get to attend simbang gabi with my special someone. All of my simbang gabi moments are with my mom. We may not attend it every year but we see to it that if we are going to do it, we will finish it. We both prefer the night masses from the moment we found out about it. Well my mom also had no idea that simbang gabi is not only dawn masses but also night masses. If you found out about it a long time ago then lucky you but if you only found out about it just now then you are still lucky because as early as now you already know about it.

Other than simbang gabi, it has been a tradition of some Filipinos to also eat bibingka and puto bumbong after the mass. Both are popular rice cakes in the Philippines that is usually present during the holiday season. Well that was before because there are now some restaurants and stores that sell those rice cakes even if it is not Christmas season.

In your place, are there still a lot of church goers during simbang gabi? I have noticed each passing year that eventhough our population is increasing, the people that go to church are decreasing. I hope that it is only in our subdivision especially because they have made our church exclusive to us residents. Are you attending the simbang gabi this year? In church or on live streaming? My mom and I just watches it on TV. She actually wanted to go to church but I told her that we needed to take a bath after but we all know how cold the water during these days so my mom backed out. LOL. Even if we are experiencing a pandemic or any other uncertainties, I hope and pray that we can still turn to God. We should not forget Him, not now and not forever.

P.S. lead image is one of the photos that I took during yesterday's simbang gabi from live TV.