IS THERE light at the end of the tunnel?
Due to the pandemic, several festivities and holidays have not been enjoyed the same way as before. Worse, some have even been canceled and not celebrated at all.
Thank God we still have Christmas. And what’s a Philippine Christmas without Christmas lanterns?
The origin of star lanterns, locally known as parol, is believed to date back to the Spanish colonial period, when Christianity was introduced in the Philippines.
Parol came from the Spanish word farol which means “lantern.” It is customarily made out of bamboo and Japanese paper—wherein its original forms were either rectangular or oblong and were made in a white paper.
Being a Christian symbol, Parol was traditionally part of the panunuluyan, a dramatization of Joseph and Mary’s journey to search for a suitable lodging to give birth to Jesus. It also refers to lamps carried on processions as referenced by Jose Rizal in his novel, Noli Me Tangere.
The parol formed a significant part of Pampanga’s culture. Don Mariano Henson, dubbed as the father of Kapampangan studies, traces the history of the parol back to the 1830s as part of the Lubenas in Bacolor, Pampanga. Lubenas is a traditional nine-day Kapampangan prayer procession that uses lanterns along the way.
San Fernando City tourism officer Ching Pangilinan, in her column in Sunstar Pampanga published in November 2014, also chronicled the origins of the parol from various annals and familial accounts. She noted that Kapampangan artisan Francisco Estanislao constructed the first-ever five-pointed star parol out of bamboo, Japanese paper and candles in 1908.
Lanterns then evolved and became more vibrant when electricity was widely accessible during the 1940s.
Additionally, there are native Kapampangan terms for the borrowed word parol, namely: sulugi, sumbu sulu and paritan.
In Philippine tradition, the display of bright, mesmerizing, and well-crafted parol starts as early as September and lasts until the Feast of the Three Kings (12 days after Christmas day). Parol represents Bethlehem’s star that led the Three Wise Men to the manger of Jesus. It signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair. Parol is also being used by churchgoers to light up their paths when going to churches for simbang gabi.
Behind every impressive geometric pattern, vibrant lights and remarkable detail is a skilled parol maker. More than being a symbol of our Christmas tradition, the lantern similarly exhibits the brilliance and resourcefulness of Filipinos.
A parol is more than just a composition of recyclable materials and bulbs. It embodies our rich culture and tradition that will forever make the Filipino Christmas unique. It is more than just a lantern illuminating the streets during the yuletide season—it is also a beacon of hope, like the Star of Bethlehem, reminding us that amid the darkness, there is a light that will guide you on your way.
