Well-loved Pinoy Christmas Home Decors

While it’s true that Christmas has one generic red, white and green look across the world, regions and countries do weave in their own tiny elements to add character and make it distinct to their area. For the Philippines, Christmas will never be complete without vibrant bright stars that light up the long hours of night, and these other pinoy Christmas home decor musts!

Best described as bright and cheerful, home decor for Christmas is something that we Filipinos know by heart. No wonder our default and well-loved home decor items for the season are the following:

Christmas Lights

Did you know that Christmas lights began as one of Thomas Edison’s marketing tricks for his invention? It was in 1880 when he strung up incandescent bulbs around his Menlo Park laboratory, and positioned his invention as a means to heighten Yuletide excitement.

And it worked! People caught on. In the Philippines, Christmas lights hung outside a house’s window is one of the first things that tells you that it’s that time of the year.

Para Sure home decor tip: save some Christmas lights for interior use! Have you tried creating fairy light mason jars?

Parol or Christmas Star Lantern

Another way to brighten up your home is hanging up a huge parol outside your home. Likely to be the star of Christmas decor in the Philippines—pun intended—the parol takes inspiration from the Mexican piñata. It was originally used by Filipino communities as a lighting guide to church during Simbang Gabi.

Para Sure home decor tip: Your parol need not be one huge star, instead it can be a cluster of smaller ones outside your home.

Christmas Tree

Are Christmas Trees originally pinoy? No. But this Christmas staple has been ingrained in our tradition since 1324 when the first Christmas tree was planted and the first Christmas Mass was also held in Pangasinan. Later in 1886, in one of his letters to his sister Neneng, Rizal narrates how in German custom pine trees are dressed up with tinsel, paper, dolls, candies, lights and the like for Christmas.

Christmas Belen

The nativity scene is a symbol of hope and faith as it reminds every Filipino of the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. The diorama-like Christmas decor comes in different sizes and may even be DIYed for a more customized look.

Read more and plan your home improvement projects with para sure tips from Island Paints!