For us in the Philippines, yuletide begins in September the start of the -Ber Months (September, October, November, December). Way before we start counting down a hundred days from Christmas, households get decorated from a simple parol to being warped into a more ornate, tiny Christmas village. You’ll find carolers going from house to house singing (sometimes even dancing) Christmas songs to be rewarded with coins or small items for their efforts. 

As a widely Catholic country, many Filipinos attend simbang gabi (night mass), a nine-day series of dawn masses culminating with the misa de gallo, the last day, on the 24th of December or Christmas Eve. During each night of the simbang gabi, parishoners can expect the sweet scent of bibingka and puto bumbong and stalls that sell the rice treats as part of tradition. It is believed that successfully attending all the nine masses gives the parishioner one wish. 

Families gather for noche buena, on Christmas Eve, with a feast to greet Christmas at midnight.

While being a majorly Muslim country, Indonesia boasts unique holiday celebrations blending religion with its local culture. 

In Manado, they celebrate Kunci Tahun the entire month of December. They begin on the 1st day with pre-Christmas traditions and religious rituals at home. At the end, people dress up in Christmas costumes and parade around the city that also serves as part of their celebration to welcome the new year. 

In Bali, churches and Christians decorate their homes with Penjor (pictured above) that symbolizes welfare and prosperity. 

Penjor is a Balinese decoration that uses long bamboo and young coconut leaves. Balinese people, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, participate in a communal Christmas tradition called Negjot. In Negjot, people shared food by bringing home-made dishes to neighbors, friends, and family as a way of expressing gratitude. Everyone’s participation in the tradition commemorates the heartwarming religious tolerance and mutual respect across religious communities in Bali.

In Yogyakarta, a Wayang Kulit, a traditional puppet-shadow presentation depicting the birth of Jesus is performed and midnight mass or Christmas service is delivered in Javanese by romo (priests) wearing traditional clothing, beskap and blangkon.

In Vietnam, being a vastly Buddhist population doesn’t stop them from celebrating Christmas. The season isn’t an official holiday but it’s a reason for fun-loving Vietnamese to get-together. 

For the less than 10% of Christians in the country, Christmas celebrations reflect French influences in its traditions with many Catholic churches displaying a nativity or ‘creche’. Decorations of nativities also line some areas Ho Chi Minh City during the season. 

A Christmas Eve feast, reveillon, also include ‘bûche de Noël’ (a log shaped chocolate) for desert. 

Additionally, the spirit of gift giving is not lost as children believe in and even dress up as Santa Claus or ‘Ông già Noel’ (Christmas old man); and they look forward to having their stockings filled with gifts along with the tradition of leaving their shoes out on Christmas Eve. 

Singapore is considered a melting pot of cultures with its diverse ethnic populations. Regardless of the cultural differences, the holiday season and Christmas is widely celebrated in Singapore. The famous shopping street, Orchard Road, is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations filled with vibrant colors - highlighting an atmosphere that is sure to get one into the festive feeling. 

Unlike its Southeast Asian counterparts, this city-state celebrates the season in a more commercial manner instead of the traditional religious manner that other countries do, but they are open to celebrating Christmas according to how different faiths celebrate it. 

Other activities people can enjoy during the holiday season in Singapore are, of course, going to Universal Studios to experience ‘A Universal Christmas’; visiting the Museum of Ice Cream Singapore to have a very ‘Pinkmas’; enjoying the magnificent light displays in their very own Changi Airport; and many more. Do not underestimate this city-state as Singapore does have various festive activities in store for everyone every Christmas season.