Filipino Christmas traditions celebrated

CITY of Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan joined 30 community members at the National Wool Museum in Geelong to learn about the festive traditions of Filipino people.

Last month, Cr Sullivan sat down with people from Filipino, Chinese, Malaysian, English and Australian backgrounds to make Christmas Parols, which are star-shaped lanterns that Filipino families hang from their front windows to symbolize light over darkness and hope and goodwill to all.

The city said it was thrilled to host the cultural workshops in partnership with the Filipino Australian Friendship Association of Geelong, and hoped they would bring greater awareness of the symbol and celebrate the Filipino Australian community.

“Our region is made up of so many cultures that mark Christmas differently, so it was a pleasure to learn more about how Filipino-Australians celebrate Christmas,” Cr Sullivan said.

“We were enthusiastically welcomed by Filipino-Australian community members eager to share their traditions and I thank them for giving us their time.”

He said the colourful Parol he made was is hanging up in his home on the Bellarine Peninsula.

During the celebrations, participants also listened to Filipino carols and enjoyed a selection of Filipino cuisine.

Cr Jim Mason, chair of the council’s the Multicultural Affairs portfolio, said residents born overseas made up nearly 18 per cent of Greater Geelong’s population.

“Workshops like these are just one of the ways Council celebrates the multicultural fabric of our region.

“It’s fantastic to see that participants were interested to learn about Filipino culture, find common values and connect with each other.”

Each year, the National Wool Museum celebrate Christmas by providing various opportunities to host and showcase the many festive traditions of the rich and diverse community of Greater Geelong.