LONDON - Various Filipino groups in the United Kingdom staged their own Christmas countdown, beginning with the traditional Parol lighting.

In November, the Carmelite Filipino Choir at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Kensington High Street joined ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel in the global parol-lighting ceremony.

The global parol-lighting ceremony was held simultaneously in key regional provinces nationwide in the Philippines as well as the global territories of ABS-CBN and seen on TV Patrol World.

In some houses in the UK, Pinoys also showed off the iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas: the Philippine-made parol.

Tina Rabino, a nurse in Birmingham proudly narrated to ABS-CBN Europe news bureau how she painstakingly took the effort to bring back to the UK the parol she bought in the Philippines.  

“Binili ko kasi gusto ko makita naman nila na may parol dito at least kakaiba di, ba? Dalawa na kaming Pinoy na may Parol dito na ganito. Maliit lang ang binitbit ko kasi ang hirap sa eroplano.  At least makita naman nila kung saan galing ito. Yung iba tumitingin kasi tingnan mo decor nila, usual na makikita mo sa tindahan. Ito wala naman sila,” said Rabino.
 
For many Filipinos in the UK, the Christmas celebration will not be complete without one of the oldest Christmas customs—the caroling.

In Kilburn, London, the Filipino Catholic Community Choir did not grind into a halt even with the forecast of snowfall across the week. The group is scheduled for caroling at some 15 houses in London. They plan to complete the rounds before December ends.

Part of the proceeds from the caroling will be donated by the group to the victims of typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines and the remaining amount will go to the purchase of instruments for the choir.

The group is also supporting charities for children in Cavite and Bohol. Every month, the group headed by its president Bobeth Rara, sends £50 for the feeding program of the children they sponsor.  

The fourth house they visited in Kilburn, since they started the caroling, was the residence of fellow church member Mercie Villahermosa. After one song, the carolers were welcomed inside the house to save them from freezing up in the winter cold. Singing Christmas carols London-style but adding a unique Pinoy twist continued inside the Villahermosa residence which they also share with other Pinoy families. Belting out the finale song and the most requested piece from the carolers, everyone in the house could not resist but join in the singing of “Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko”.
 
According to Alex Nocum one of the leaders of the choir, ‘Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko’, the Christmas station ID of ABS-CBN is the now the favorite caroling song in their list by Pinoys in the UK.

“In fact, magmula ng kantahin namin ito sa misa noong a- trese, we had a lot of request from families na nakantahan na namin last year to do the same thing. It was really moving nung napanuod namin yung MTV sa TFC lalo na nung nakita namin na sa YouTube marami din ang nag-upload ng version nila. So naisip namin na why not kami naman sa London ang gumawa ng version namin. Tinatanong nila bakit bro. Sino si Bro? Gusto naming iparating na ang star talaga ng pasko si Jesus Christ,” said Nocum.

The Carolers also said every Filipino Christmas carol they sing helps them cope with homesickness especially during this time of the year where families are supposed to be together.

“Para na rin kaming nasa Pilipinas although malayo kami sa aming pamilya, para na rin kinakantahan namin sila,” said Joy Ventanilla,’ choir leader of the Filipino Catholic Community Choir.

The UK has become a home faraway from home for many Pinos here but they said that nothing compares to celebrating Christmas the Filipino way.