![\"pancit\"](\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2016\/11\/Pancit.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAmong the many countries in the world that celebrate Christmas, none are done on a grander scale in their own home as much as Filipinos (a little bit biased, but we do have the longest Christmas season in the world). From decorations to food, Filipinos go the distance no matter how bleak their situation may seem.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re ever invited to Christmas dinner by one of your Filipino friends, here are 12 things you might see on their table:<\/p>\n
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Image grabbed from <\/em>Wikimedia commons<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Pancit.\u00a0<\/strong>A Filipino classic, this noodle dish, which \u201cpromotes long life\u201d, is an ever-present dish in any celebration, more so during Christmas. If you\u2019ve been invited by someone who\u2019s a bit more affluent, you may see more than one variety.<\/p>\n Ube halaya and leche flan. <\/strong>Leche<\/em> flan, the Filipino version of cr\u00e8me caramel, is a staple dessert that makes it to every Filipino table during Christmas. It\u2019s served by itself or partnered with ube halaya<\/em> or purple yam jam, which can be topped with cheese.<\/p>\n Image grabbed from <\/em>Wong Hoi Li on flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Fruit salad. <\/strong>If you\u2019re not too fond of ube halaya <\/em>or leche <\/em>flan, there\u2019s another option that\u2019s always laid out on the table: fruit salad. It\u2019s the simplest of Filipino Christmas desserts, consisting of a can of canned or frozen fruit (usually Del Monte Fruit Cocktail) mixed with cream, condensed milk, and a bit of cheese. Want to be an even bigger hit? Add shreds of coconut meat.<\/p>\n Macaroni salad.<\/strong> Another popular Filipino Christmas salad, macaroni salad is often the replacement for those who could not prepare fruit salad for Christmas. As the name implies, it involves the use of elbow macaroni pasta mixed with other ingredients such as raisins, cheese, chicken, and a bit of cream. It\u2019s eaten either as a side dish or main dish (for those on a diet).<\/p>\n Image grabbed from <\/em>pulaw on flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Sweet spaghetti.<\/strong> Whenever there\u2019s a party, there\u2019s most probably a huge serving of spaghetti. And with every Filipino party, that spaghetti will be sweet, meaty, and cheesy all at the same time. Filipinos have taken the classic meat sauce and have given it their own twist that\u2019s loved by young and old.<\/p>\n Image grabbed from <\/em>Knorr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Rellenong bangus.<\/em> <\/strong>or stuffed milkfish is a favorite amongst Filipinos. It gives you a chance to savor the taste of what has been called the National Fish stuffed with anything you can think of (though it\u2019s mostly shredded meat and a couple of veggies). Best eaten with a cup of rice\u2026 or two.<\/p>\n PUTO BUMBONG (LEFT) AND BIBINGKA (RIGHT). Images grabbed from flickr (whologwhy<\/a> for bibingka and <\/em>tacit requiem<\/em><\/a> for puto bumbong)<\/em><\/p>\n Bibingka and puto bumbong.<\/strong> Two rice cakes that always signal the start of Christmas season should never be left out of any Filipino table. Bibingka<\/em> is a rice cake made with coconut milk and eggs that\u2019s cooked in a clay pot, is often topped with sliced salted egg and grated dried coconut or niyog<\/em>. Puto bumbong<\/em>, on the other hand, is steamed glutinous rice mixed with purple yam powder (hence, the purple color) and served with shredded coconut mixed with sugar or topped with margarine or butter.<\/p>\n Image taken by Glendale Lapastora, grabbed from <\/em>flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Barbecue.\u00a0<\/strong>No party is complete without these sticks of grilled meat or chicken, and the same goes for Christmas, though it is, at times, served alongside hotdogs on a stick.<\/p>\n Image taken by Veronica of World to Table, grabbed from <\/em>flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Hamon.\u00a0<\/strong>Sometimes referred to as jamon <\/em>or Christmas ham, these are usually glazed with syrup, honey, or otherwise encrusted with brown sugar crumble. It goes really well with the next item.<\/p>\n Image grabbed from <\/em>Toni Girl on flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Keso de Bola.<\/strong> If you know a bit of Spanish, then this should be trivial. It\u2019s literally a ball of cheese wrapped in red plastic. It goes really well with Christmas ham either between two slices of bread or with rice (yes, we Filipinos eat meat and cheese with rice).<\/p>\n IT DOESN\u2019T HAVE TO BE \u201cROUND\u201d. Rounded will sometimes do, as long as there\u2019s 12. Image grabbed from <\/em>pixabay<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 12 different round fruits.<\/strong> Yes, it\u2019s that specific. Yes, it\u2019s a bit overboard, but every Filipino table will have a set of 12 round fruits prepared for Christmas. It\u2019s said to bring good luck for the coming year (which is why it usually makes it until New Year\u2019s Eve). A typical centerpiece at every Filipino table during Christmas, it\u2019s only trumped by the next item.<\/p>\n![\"leche-flan-ube-halaya\"](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Pancit.JPG\")
LECHE FLAN (LEFT) AND UBE HALAYA (RIGHT). Images grabbed from flickr (<\/em>Dolly Rubiano<\/em><\/a> for ube halaya and <\/em>luchrupan<\/em><\/a> for leche flan)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\nImage grabbed from <\/em>digipam on flickr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n