My Fun Experiences being Somebody's ‘Monita’

“Love my Monita, yes I do. Love my Monita, yes I do. Love my Monita, yes I do. Love my Monita but I won't tell you!”

Are you familiar with this jingle?

During my school days, we used to sing this song during this season. We were singing this while we were holding a gift intended or to be given for our Monito or Monita.

Here in the Philippines, the Christmas season is always fun and full of surprises, and one of the most awaited traditions is the gift exchange tradition. Often, this tradition is being held at school. And until today, remembering this tradition makes me feel again the excitement it gave me long years ago.

In a tiny cut bond paper, each students' name was written one by one, rolled, and put in a box or a bottle. Then our teacher will start to shake it, then she will go around the classroom and let each student pick their respective rolled paper. Then, we should secretly open the paper to keep it a secret, especially to our Monito or Monita.

The purpose of this is to do the exchanging of gifts to be held during our Christmas party celebration.

And me, I also experienced being a Monita and some gave me extra special and fun rememberings!

Let me share with you the fun experiences I had been somebody's Monita during my youthful days.

I couldn't remember the first Christmas party I had, I even don't remember the gifts I received from grades one and two. But the memories I had during grade three were still clear about my experience of the gift exchange tradition during our Christmas party.

As a child, I am always excited about Christmas especially the thought of receiving gifts from my Secret Santa at school. I am always thrilled since we never have any idea who got our names in our classmates and that's making the exchange gift more exciting.

Then, the most awaited day came and I have my gifts wrapped for my Monito. It was Jayson, my classmate and he is gay, he was my Monito at that time. I bought him a wallet, put money inside and a handkerchief too as my gifts.

Then the song we used to sing, Love my Monito Monita started to play. One by one my classmates got their gifts from their Secret Santa and handed their gifts to their Monito Monita, and I was left sitting in my chair. I was wondering why nobody handed a gift to me and I saw that Jayson was absent too. I felt so miserable at that moment, but what could I do?

Then our teacher started to ask if who else didn't receive a gift. I raised my hand and to my surprise, somebody raised his hands too and it was Wilmer.

We were both unlucky that day, our Monito and Monita were not around. Then our teacher decided to just have us both exchange the gifts we wrapped since my gift was for a boy and his gift was for a girl. So, we ended up exchanging the gifts we brought.

After the exchange of gifts, we unwrapped our presents and to my surprise, what Wilmer brought was a bit expensive. It was a board game, ‘Snake in a Ladder’ but the theme was Princess Aurora of Sleeping Beauty.

I could say it's expensive because I saw it on toy kingdom before. Also, board games were very popular at that time. Realizing, I felt a bit ashamed of my gift to him. 😅

That's perhaps one of the most memorable Christmas presents I had during elementary days, and the rest were just memories.

While during my high school days, I also have memorable experiences being somebody's monita.

I was a fourth-year high school and the same during elementary days, we also have our traditional gift exchange event held at the Christmas party. But our adviser made it more special and fun.

Every day, we were given a responsibility, and that is to give a gift in means of food to our monito/monita what our teacher told us to give and should not be less than 10 pesos.

For example, our teacher will instruct us to gift our Monito/Monita something sweet. So we should buy foods that are sweet and should not be less than 10 pesos.

In the morning there's a specific box intended for keeping the gifts wrapped with names and one by one our teacher will recite each name in every gift and hand it to the receiver.

On the last day before the week of our main Christmas party event, our teacher made a little change, to make it more enjoyable for us, she held a mini treasure hunt for us. That day we were instructed to gift our Monito/Monita something Big.

She gave us thirty minutes to hide our gift in the vicinity she appointed. And as it was all set she gave us another 30 mins to find our names or gifts.

All my classmates already found their names, and I was like a foolish student looking for my name all around and found nothing. I was excited at first, who wouldn't love to hunt and find a particular gift for you?

My classmates especially my friends told me I might mislook it, but I just stop searching. Everyone got their presents except for me, all their eyes were on me when my teacher asked who doesn't receive or find their names, and I'm the only one who raised a hand.

I was ready to move on but when lunchtime came, I went out for a while to buy something, by the way, I was bringing a lunchbox and eating at school. When I went back to my seat, I saw something inside my bag.

It seems to be a big present, it was wrapped in bond paper and my name was written on it. I felt so excited and happy, my Special Santa must be bothered with his conscience seeing my face. 🤣

My classmates tease me because the present was quite huge. As I opened it, it was a huge potato chip snack. I shared it with my closest friends and I started to wonder who might be my Special Santa.

Our Christmas party came and it was so fun, and we spend it so well because it'll be the Christmas party we'll be having as high schools. It was full of surprises, laughter, and entertainment too!

The most awaited part of the celebration was the exchange of gifts.

And I was thrilled too to know who could be my Santa on that day. Then one by one we walked in front of the microphone and described our Monito/Monita.

Then my classmate from Elementary, Genaro, walked straight in my direction. I laughed when I realized he was my Special Santa. He also winked at me and told me his gift was very special.

I could sense he's making another suspicious and hilarious stuff since I knew him way back in our elementary days that he was so naughty and because he was my elementary classmate since grade 3, we were close too.

When we opened our gifts, he again sit beside me together with his pals. And I am not feeling excited because they were all attending to my present from Genaro.

As I opened it, it was a purple blouse with a butterfly design, but there's something behind the blouse. It was a box making my suspicions became elevated. Then to my surprise box, Genaro put inside was a box of mosquito coil (Katol). 🤣

This is how it looks like:

Image source: https://cnbenma.en.made-in-china.com/product/uoXnHKDvENYl/China-Baoma-Black-Mosquito-Repellent-Incense-Spirales-Anti-Mosquitoes-Original-factory-.html

My classmates were laughing so loud and I couldn't do anything but laugh too. I ran towards Genaro and strangle him in the neck in a teasing way.

It may happen years and years ago but every time I remember it I couldn't stop myself from smiling. It was my most memorable Christmas presents received ever. 🤣

Christmas is coming nearly and I don't know if this tradition, gift exchange is still ongoing in school in these pandemic times. I am just grateful I experienced those fun junctures being somebody's Monita. The two experiences I shared with you today are still fresh in my head. Seems like they just happened yesterday.

How about you, can you share with me your fun experiences being somebody's Monito/Monita too?

I would be pleased to read them. 💖

Thanks for dropping by, ‘till next time!

Written by: @eommaZel ✍🏻🥀