TGIF FEATURE: Make a parol lantern and join a parade

The Parol Lantern Festival, which includes a parade, is an annual tradition in San Francisco.

WITH Thanksgiving launching the month-long Holiday Season in the United States, we begin the unofficial long-wait until Christmas, then New Year's, then Martin Luther King Day in January.

The vast majority of Filipino/Americans were raised in the Roman Catholic faith (85%) and even if they are not regular church-goers, they still join in the celebrations of the most holy of days.

The Philippines observes the longest Christmas season, from Sambang Gabi (Night Mass), or Misa de Gallo (Rooster's Mass), a nine-day of early morning masses, all the way through Christmas to the Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings) on Jan. 6, the Santo Nino celebrations on/around the third Sunday of January. The long holiday season ends with the Feb. 2 observance of the Feast of Our Lady of the Candles, Nuestra Señora de la Purification y Cadelaria, the purification of Mary. (In some cultures, this is called Candlemas.)

One aspect of the Philippines' long celebration of Christmas that is gaining public notice in the United States is the parol, a paper lantern lighting the windows of many Filipino/American windows. The parol lantern is the quintessential Filipino symbol of hope, blessings, luck, peace, and light during the holiday season. It began with a candle but for safety reasons, Filipinos use light bulbs inside the colorful paper lanterns.

In San Francisco, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, the community will be holding the 13th Annual San Francisco Parol Lantern Festival – a must-see event during the holiday season that is organized by the Filipino-American Development Foundation and Kularts.

Parols can be simple ...

This year, the parol parade and festival will be held in Yerba Buena Lane, Jessie Square and St. Patrick’s Church, the religious center of the Filipino district, South of Market, (SoMa). Participants are expected from over 25 local organizations as well of dozens of individuals with their home-made parole to gather for a lively parade and festival which includes performances, community presentations and the annual Tala Awards for the best parol lanterns.

This year participating contingents who are vying for the Tala Awards are expected to incorporate the theme - "Giving Light to the Future" - in the design of their parol 

... or, ornate as you want.

lanterns and presentation in conjunction with the unveiling of the SoMa Pilipinas, a Filipino Social Heritage Special Use District in San Francisco.

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• To be an official entry in the parole parade and be eligible for a prize, register here.

• To encourage participation and to bolster the Filipino tradition, the Filipino-American Development  Foundation and Kularts are sponsoring a series of parol-making workshops on Fridays prior to the parade and festival. The workshops started in October but the last workshop is Dec 4. The workshop will be held ad the Bayanihan Communitiy Center, 1010 Mission St., 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Basic supplies are provided but if you want to get fancier or bigger, supplies are available for a fee. If you bring your own lights, they can also help you set up lights inside your parol. The organizers suggest LED Christmas lights for durability and energy-efficiency.