Give Jose Mari Chan a break with these underrated Filipino Christmas songs

christmas in our hearts jose mari chan christmas songs

Filipinos are “apocryphally” known to be tardy—as in “Filipino time.” This is, of course, not to be considered a generalization or a stereotype. Not all Filipinos arrive late. If anything, to debunk this one should simply look at how early we celebrate Christmas—three months in advance to be exact.

As soon as the calendar changes from August to September, expect the garlands, the decor and, of course, the Christmas carols to play.

[READ: Feeling stressed? Listening to Christmas songs helps ]

One particular song is associated with this transition: Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts” from his 1990 album of the same name. It is so ingrained in Filipino pop culture that you can count on it to play on the radio and on public places and be sung by Christmas carolers.

[READ: Filipino AF signs that Christmas is officially here]

As much as it reminds everyone of a joyful time ahead—especially after spending months in quarantine—like any other song, hearing it again and again is not exactly ideal.

Not that we don’t have a lot of other Christmas tunes in our own language—we, a nation of singers (another apocryphal claim, we think)?

Really though, there are many other songs (outside of the usual carolers’ and Misa de Gallo choir’s repertoire) that are worth listening to to usher in the holiday cheer. Here are some suggestions.