Philippines Edition
World Careful Flame Day leads today's complete edition for Philippines.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
A day for cooking fires, candles, heaters, lamps, grills, ceremonies, workshops, and the respect every culture gives controlled fire.
A nine-day series of dawn masses that begins on December 16 and ends on December 24. The tradition is to attend all nine masses (the mass starts at 4:00 AM), and the belief is that if you complete all nine, your wish will come true. The churches are packed at 4:00 AM, and after the mass, families eat puto bumbong (purple rice cake with coconut and sugar) and bibingka (rice cake with salted egg and cheese) sold outside the church. The Simbang Gabi is the most important religious tradition in the Philippines, and it has been celebrated since the 1600s.
You observe colorful reef fish, sea turtles, and tropical seabirds like frigatebirds and herons in the waters and skies around Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. You find that dogs and cats dominate as pets, with some residents keeping parrots and other tropical birds. ACADA celebrates the world's pets, and helps assure better care.