Is it even a Filipino Christmas celebration if we don’t see the traditional parol? These star lanterns are one of the main icons of local holidays, and parades are even held nationwide to show the world this unique spectacle. Among the most famous ones is the annual Giant Lantern Festival in the country’s Christmas capital San Fernando City, Pampanga.
But due to the pandemic, we won’t be able to roam around and look for the best Christmas parol displays or watch lantern parades like before. In hopes of still keeping the holiday spirit aglow despite this challenging situation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is bringing its grand parol display online.
For its Pasko 2020 celebrations, the CCP Main Building Facade and its complex grounds will be lit up with a spectacular display of Parul Sampernandu. This exhibition will be streamed live on Dec. 10 starting 7 p.m. via CCP’s Facebook page.
In spite of the challenges of the COVID19 pandemic, the Cultural Center of the Philippines heralds the holiday season…
Posted by Cultural Center of the Philippines on Sunday, December 6, 2020
The parol display includes lanterns originally designed by the Quiwa Family from San Fernando and upcycled from years of storage. With this, the CCP also hopes to show support for Pampanga’s parol craftsmen who lost their livelihood due to the pandemic.
In addition to the eight-point parols that will decorate CCP’s facade, there will also be a complementary projection mapping from renowned projection designer GA Fallarme, as well as a lights and sound display from Danilo Villanueva. The parol display will also be open to the public for on-site viewing from Dec. 10 to Jan. 3, 2021. The CCP however advised everyone visiting to follow quarantine health protocols and social distancing guidelines.
Aside from this exciting lantern spectacle, Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula will be releasing a selection of short animation films from its archives as part of the Pasko 2020 celebration.
Header photo by Leo M. Sabangan II for Inquirer.net
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