christmas

TRADITIONS WE STOPPED DOING DURING CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

January 18, 2022 by Little Miss Honey

Year-end winter holiday celebrations like Christmas and New Year have accumulated some accustomed traditions in several households, ours included. When we were younger, my mother have started lovely traditions during Christmas and New Year. On Christmas eve, we often go to church for a evening mass then when we go home we would be told to sleep because Santa Claus is coming and he doesn’t want to see kids awake. The adults will be busy in the kitchen. I would hear clanks and banging of kitchen pots, a cheerful chatters from the elders with a booming sound of Christmas songs from the speakers of our sound system. When we (the kids) are woken up a little pass 12 midnight for our Noche Buena (Christmas feast) followed by opening of presents. Our mother would often give us loads of gifts for Christmas. She would even wrapped even the tiniest gifts separately because she enjoy seeing us open our gifts. We will also check the socks we hang in the window for Santa to fill with goodies, usually with an apple, chocolates and candies. I would keep that sock filled sweets in a shoe box and I would slowly eat them for weeks after the festivities.

During New Year eve, we often lit noisy firecrackers and beautiful sparklers. We have a houseboy at home that took care of lighting up the firecrackers and sparklers for our safely. We often have 12 fruits displayed on a container on top of the dining table for New Year that represents abundance for the next 12 months. My mom just loves our reaction when we open gifts during Christmas so we don’t open all the gifts we got in Christmas and we save it for New Year’s Eve. My mom would often add more for New Year’s Eve.

My hubby’s Christmas traditions involved a big party with his family and the whole clan with lots of games, gift-giving and lots of laughter. He talked fondly of this memories of those parties.

Now that I have my own family, we tried to incorporate some of the traditions we have been accustomed to and made new ones. However, out of necessity, the current circumstances we are all experiencing now and practicality, there are some traditions we have stopped doing during Christmas and New Year.

Here are 5 traditions we stopped doing during Christmas and New Year:

1. Big holiday parties

Because of the pandemic and practicality , we opted for staycations over big holiday parties. We prefer to chill & quiet (me especially) over loads of preparation and more loads of clean up after the party. It is not easy to do big parties even small parties without a helper and with three active young kids. Honestly, I just can’t manage. So we rather book a good budget hotel for Christmas or New Year. Maybe we book reservations for a Christmas buffet or maybe a good Christmas or New Year Eve dinner would be just great. We still attend fun Christmas parties with our friends here over at their homes and exchange gifts days before Christmas.

2. Gifts

My hubby and I have already promised ourselves when we were still living in Singapore, in order to save, we decided to only give gifts to each other on our birthdays. So we don’t give gifts to each on Christmas, New Year, anniversaries and Valentines. So no gift-giving between my husband and I are already a given.

Previously, during Christmas, we would give one gift from Santa and one gift from us to our kids. A few Christmas before, I would add lots of little knick knack gifts for the kids. But I realised that kids received lots of gifts from our neighbours too for Christmas. Toys and stuff accumulate and we realised that they start taking their stuff for granted with the massive collection of toys and items. We decided a gift from Santa is enough for us. It is also economical. We prefer to expose them more to experiences instead as well as teach them the value of taking better care of the things given to them.

3. Christmas stocking filled with sweets

I used to enjoy this tradition so much. I love opening my shoebox filled with sweets. But now with my kids, we try to minimise their sugar consumption. We often keep the socks away from them and give them their sweets sparingly throughout the weeks. It would literally take months before they can finish their stocks. Plus we already have a stock of chocolates in our fridge which we eat occasionally for dessert. So we thought we get rid of the stockings filing with sweets because it is totally encourage sugar addiction. They barely even realised they didn’t get it from Santa.

4. Opening presents on Christmas Eve

In our household when I was young, we often open gifts on Christmas Eve but now with my kids, my hubby suggested that the kids open their gifts when they wake up in the morning of Christmas. It makes the kids excited for the morning of Christmas.

5. Twelve fruits for the New Year

We don’t buy 12 fruits for New Year for abundance. It seems like a superstitious practice. I rather pray and work for abundance & prosperity for the New Year rather than relying on fruits for my luck.

Another practice we will probably stop for New Year are firecrackers and massive sparklers. Here in Oman and before in Singapore, we never do it because it is prohibited. But if we are in the Philippines, I would like those firecrackers too because it is quite unsafe.

So there you have it, the 5 traditions we stopped doing during Christmas and New Year. Do you have traditions you decided to stopped too?

Some Christmas tradition I am keeping is attending mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ though I do it online now. I also want next time to buy a cake for Christmas for Jesus’ birthday and sing a Happy Birthday song with the kids. For New Year, I still do my New Year’s resolution, of course. It is one of my favourite traditions of all time.

CHRISTMAS 2021 AT GRAND HYATT HOTEL MUSCAT

December 27, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

We have advanced booked staycations in differnt for Christmas and New Year. For Christmas, we chose Grand Hyatt Hotel for a 2-days stay.

The night before our staycation, the kids were a bit under the weather. Zeke fell off the bed 2 days before and been limping. We went to the hospital to do an xray for him and thank God, there was no fracture. However, he can’t really walk properly. We have to carry him around the house or he uses his knees to go from one spot in the house to another. Naj and Howell have vomiting too and have to give them some medicines. I, too, was not feeling well especially that it was the the time of the month and I been feeling nauseous with a throbbing headache.

On the morning of December 24, we headed to Muscat with our bags. We were excited even if we were all feeling a bit unwell. When we got to Muscat, we headed as usual to Jollibee for our breakfast.

Once we had our breakfast, we proceeded to the hotel to check in. It was located in Qurum area near the beach. The hotel looks like an old castle with beige brick-stone Arabian architecture. We parked our vehicle in the parking lot and we have to walk in this steep inclined walkway up to the hotel lobby hauling our bags with us. It was quite inconvenient for us especially with Zeke who can’t walk well long distance.

Once we entered the hotel lobby, the whole place was decked in Christmas trimmings. There is a corner with a Gingerbread House and a large Christmas tree at the center of the hotel

A nice Omani receptionist checked us in. We realised that we have booked the room for one adult only so we have to pay additional 20 riyals for my stay. The interiors of the hotel shows particular details in every corners that is very much like the castle-like facade of the hotel. Unfortunately, everything looks quite old: the carpets, the furnitures, etc. The receptionist lead us to a narrow hallway where the lift is somewhat hidden that would take us to our room. We were in Level 2 near the Mokha Cafe. The structure of the hotel reminds me of a cabins in the ship we took going to Manila from Iloilo City.

When we entered the room. It is huge and stately. There is a big king bed, a big office-type desk & chair, a lounge chair and a terrace. The bathroom has a shower, toilet, bidet and a tub. The room lights are dim and yellow. The hotel room does looks old and in need of refurnishing. The bathroom have brown stains in floors and corners.

We had created some sort of tradition (because we often do staycation) is to take a family photo on the bed of the hotel.

We fixed our stuff and we explored the pool area for a bit before we head out to the mall. We saw the Mokha Cafe with its indoor and outdoor dining. We booked a Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet there for the night. From there is the pool areaz There were a lot of Caucasians relaxing in the pool, enjoying the sun. There is overlooking the lovely view of the Qurum Beach.

We left the hotel to go to Oman Avenues Mall. The kids checked the toys they wish Santa would give them, *wink wink at Kiddy Zone. Then we went to the food court for lunch. J ordered pizza and chicken popcorn at Papa John’s while I head back to the Kiddy Zone to buy “Santa’s gifts” for the kids. When I joined them in the food court, I slide the large plastic bag at J’s side of the seat. When we were eating, J looked shocked and said, “What is this?! Santa’s elves delivered these for you!” Kids were so excited and said, “Wow, it was not there earlier! It is magic” Haha! We told them they can open it tomorrow on Christmas Day when they wake up.

We went back in the hotel. We found Christmas cookies and a card in the side table which is a nice touch.

Zeke and I were not feeling so good so we drank our medicines that I bought in the pharmacy. We stayed in the hotel room while J accompanied the kids to swim in the pool.

Before 7pm, we prepared for our Christmas Dinner Buffet at the hotel. We were received by a nice Filipina manager that is in charge of managing the event. We were seated inside the restaurant in a round table good for 5 people. There were 5 cuboid gifts in our table. We were instructed to pull both ends and possible a gift will be inside.

The buffet was outstanding. It was 24.948 omr for adults and 12.474 omr for kids above 5 years old. The variety of food is amazing. The salad bar has so many choices. The bread corner has a wonderful spread. There were a cheese and charcuterie corner too. Several main dishes for meat lovers and vegetarians. There are Christmas pudding and soups. There are roasted chicken and roasted beef. The dessert table is so divine with so many cakes, pastries and a chocolate fountain. My small gluttonous tummy can’t seen to fit all the food choices even if I wanted too. We got water refills throughout the meal. For beverages, it is not included in the package. However if you prefer unlimited beverages with spirits & alcoholic drinks, the package is 17.010 omr. J opted to order just 2 beers because 17.010 is too pricey.

I enjoyed the salads. I love the squash gratin and rolled chicken. I enjoyed the triple layer chocolate cake. The kids love the Christmas cookies a lot.

The kids got a shoe horn, a fan and a magnifying glass in their little gifts. Inside also have folding crepe paper that you can make into a crown.

We had a lovely time. The food was amazing. Kids enjoyed too. However, J and I realised our stomachs are not built for buffet eating. So we may rethink buffets for next Christmas and opt for a nice dinner in a restaurant next time.

The Next Day: Christmas Day

We were so tired from the day before plus Zeke been waking up several times during the night because he was not feeling well, so we missed the free morning hotel breakfast. We just let the kids open their Christmas gifts. The kids and I bathe in their tub using Lush rainbow bath bomb for a bit. We love bathtubs! Then we prepared to go to Mall of Oman because J booked a movie at 2:00 PM at their Vox Cinema. We strolled around the new mall and see what are the new stores that opened. By 1:30 PM, we proceeded to their Vox Cinema. We already paid the tickets online so we just ordered some food. We got a big tub of caramel & cheese popcorn, nachos, 2 chocolates and drinks. The Vox Cinema looks great! It was very spacious and looks like a state of the art facilities. J picked the movie: Spiderman No Way Home. The kids are excited to see Spiderman in the big screen.

I truly enjoyed the IMAX movie experience in their Vox Cinema. I love the movie! I am so surprised how much I love the movie so much since I am not much of a superhero fan, thoug Dr. Strange is now my favourite Avengers now. Kids enjoyed it a lot too and surprisingly, they were entertained and were sitting contently watching the movie. I am glad J suggested to watch a movie for Christmas Day.

After the movie, we went to Muscat Grand Mall and ended up in Oman Avenues Mall to buy take out dinner. J started feeling unwell too and started to have a slight fever. I gave him some paracetamol to take.

Going Home Time

Next morning, we made sure we get to have our morning brunch at the hotel. We glad we did. We sat outdoor and it was just lovely. Kids enjoyed the waffles and pancakes. I was happy with my cappuccino and turkey bacon. Too bad, I was able to get french toast because it wasn’t refilled.

We packed our belongings and check out at 1 PM. Grand Hyatt Hotel has its appeal but I am not sure if I would want to book a stay there again. They have a policy that they will only clean the room you stayed at after your 4th day of stay unless you call for a clean up. We informed them that if they can clean our room on the day we went to Mall of Oman at around 11:30 AM. But when we got back, our room was still not cleaned. In spite of those little glitches and the old moldy vive of the hotel, the overall experience was satisfactory.

Any other hotel recommendations for us for our next staycation?

Grand Hyatt Hotel Muscat

Shatti Al Qurm, P.O. Box 951, Muscat, Oman, 133
Tel: +968 24 64 1234 | Fax: +968 24 60 5282 | muscat.grand@hyatt.com

HOW TO HAVE A PINOY CHRISTMAS ABROAD

December 24, 2016 by Little Miss Honey Leave a Comment

Filipinos loves Christmas! It seems to be our favorite holiday of all. Most of our fond childhood memories were during Christmas. Pinoys feels a certain cheerful vibe during Christmas season. Just visit the Philippines during this time of the year and you will know what I am talking about.

I have spent some Christmases in other countries like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and almost 5 Christmases in Singapore. It has been fun but will all due respect to other countries, nothing beats Christmas celebration in the Philippines. Probably because the celebration in the Philippines reminds me of my happy childhood and my families back home. Pinoys made so much big deal of Christmas, it is funny but endearing.

So though we can’t go home for Christmas for lots of reasons, here are some ways to feel the Pinoy Christmas Spirit abroad:

1. Listen to Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas songs as early as September

Yes, in the Philippines, when the ber-month starts, the radio station will start blasting on Christmas songs already. That is how excited we are. The countdown would begin. Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in the Hearts” are an all time favorite.

2. Attend a Simbang Gabi from December 16 until eve of Christmas.

Pinoys love Simbang Gabi tradition. We would wake up early at 4:30AM to attend mass braving the cold winds of the morning. They say that if you went to mass from December 16 until Christmas without fail, you can make a wish and it will come true. I was able to do that one time when I was studying for my medical board exam and yes, my wish came true! I passed the board exam. Here in Singapore, they have Simbang Gabi masses held in certain parishes. Instead of dawn masses, they held it at 8 PM.

3. Suggest doing Exchange Gifts / S.P.S.P. (Special Pal) with your group of friends

Gift-giving is part of Christmas tradition. Gather a group of your friends, initiate a Christmas Kringle. Write your name in a piece of paper, roll and put in bowl. Each on will pick a paper and the name of the paper will be the Special Pal. Each week (depending when you plan to start it), everyone will get a gift from their Special Pal depending on the theme of the week e.g. Something Green, Something Sweet, etc.

4. Do some Christmas caroling to friends and family

I think it is more cute if kids do the caroling. Gather a group of Pinoy kids of your friends, teach them popular Christmas carols then send letters to those people who you might think would be receptive in having cute Christmas carolers in their home. It will be a fun sort-of gathering with people. Of course each caroling should end with, “Thank you Thank you! Ang babait ninyo. Thank you!”

5. Have a pot luck Noche Buena

Christmas is best spent with family and friends. The bigger, the better. So gather in one home, bring all the classic Pinoy noche buena food and have a jolly good time. Feasting starts at 12 midnight of te 25th of December. Bring in the karaoke, the San Miguel beers (if available), the gifts, and the Christmas stockings filled by Santa Claus. Don’t forget to pray and be gratitude for a wonderful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!