MISA DE GALLO

misa - mass
gallo - rooster

Something interesting about Philippine Christmas traditions, December 16 marks the first day of dawn masses. Read more: (from Wikipedia)


Misa de Gallo is the Spanish phrase for Midnight mass, more literally translated as "Rooster's Mass".
It is told that the "Rooster's Mass" owes its name in the idea that a rooster would have been among the first to witness the birth of Jesus, and thus be the one to announce it.
In most Spanish speaking countries, Misa de gallo entails a typical midnight mass, starting at around 12:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
However, as practiced in the Philippines, this custom lasts for nine days, starting on December 16 up to December 24, during which Filipinos attend dawn masses, usually starting at around 4:00-5:00 a.m. This practice started centuries ago during the Spanish colonial period when priests held early dawn masses for the farmers who wanted to attend Christmas mass but could not leave their fields. These masses were held before daybreak, hence the Filipino term "Simbang Gabi" (Midnight Mass). Even today, Filipinos wake up very early in the morning to attend the Misa de Gallo as an expression of devotion to God. It is also an expression of the devotion of the Filipino to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of the Morning who will bear and give birth to Jesus.
One of the customs related to the Philippine Misa de Gallo is the selling of traditional Philippine food, such as puto bumbong (a purple colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated coconut and brown sugar),tsokolate (a hot cocoa drink), bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under), and salabat, or ginger tea, which are sold by vendors outside churches to the faithful.