A parol or lantern, or what others refer to as a Christmas star (although it’s important to remember that a lantern is not limited in shape as a star), is a common sight in the Philippines, a warm country with the longest Christmas celebration in whole world (some say Philippine Christmas season starts with the “ber” months, September 1, while others say it officially starts on the First Advent, which happens to be today, the reason why we’re featuring the parol). So what makes a parol stand out from the crowd? We really don’t know, but somehow this particular photo of a parol captured our attention. This parol looks really simple, not the most expensive or the most ostentatious in the parol universe, for sure. Maybe our choice is based on this simplicity, yet this parol exudes the colors and warmth of Christmas, an occasion special to Filipinos — it’s one of the few events when you expect Filipinos to move heaven and earth to get home. For Filipinos, Christmas is, in large part, about the family. It is thus not surprising for this special photo to come from a “super dooper happy mom and wife,” like Jade “Jing” Barcas (jade_anne03). Look at this photo (click photo to enlarge): Continue reading Photo of the Day: Parol ng Pinoy →