Christmas is that year which is synonymous to happiness and a huge dent in the wallet. To most Filipinos, the Yuletide season does not only mean putting up lights and hangers, or Christmas parties. No, it is much more not-so-exciting ~ it is about going after your ninongs (godfathers) and ninangs (godmothers) to get your holiday gift cheques.
But here’s a newsflash to you, young’uns and teens: your Ninongs and Ninangs are not available for Christmas. We’re not your piggy banks, and we have our own financial worries of our own, too.
Read more:
- Christmas in the Philippines: Longest Holiday from September 1
- Reasons Why You Should Start Holiday Shopping Today
- How to Avoid Overspending During the Holidays
Tradition vs. Reality
Ninongs and Ninangs are like the Filipino version of Santa Claus [or elves], but they’re a close relative of the child. In the past, their task was to give direction, affection, and sometimes a meaningful present for Christmas. Socks, perhaps, or a mug. Sweet, right?
However, that beautiful gift somehow turned into money. And not just any kind of money, but the type of money we couldn’t afford ourselves.
You arrive at the family function and before you know it, you are the contestant of a game show called ‘How Much Can I Get Out of My Godparent?’
One cannot also fail to mention the embarrassment of having to act as if one did not hear your hijado or hijada telling everybody about the latest gadget that they are sure you will buy for them. You thought you were participating in Secret Santa? Think again.
It’s is all about whether your envelope is thick enough to prevent the looks from the other side of the dinner table. This is the Filipino Christmas of the present where the giving of gifts has become a monetary deal.
The burden of expectation of being a ninang or ninong
The pressure to give expensive gifts is as real as the aroma of bibingka being sold outside Jaro Cathedral after the Simbang Gabi. Each holiday, we are asked the infamous query, ‘What did you get from your Ninong or Ninang?” and the last thing anyone wants to hear is that they received anything that is not a couple hundred pesos or the newest phone.
It’s as if we are supposed to have a treasure chest somewhere that will enable us to spoil you to the max. FVCK NO.
The anxiety begins in September, when the first Christmas songs are played in the shopping malls. We carefully control our expenditures and make our schedules, sometimes to the detriment of our own wants and needs. It is not just the material aspect of the pressure. It is also the pressure to outdo other godparents in terms of the gifts that we give, as if the value of our love is equal by how much we spend. One feels that one is more of a walking bank than becoming a “true godparent.”
Personal finance struggles
Breaking news, dear godchildren ~ your Ninongs and Ninangs also have bills to settle! I mean I’m struggling personally.
It is a misconception that just because we wear a smile and act like we have everything in order that we are financially untouchable. Guess what? The truth is that most of us are struggling with our loans, buried under tons of liabilities, or just struggling to make ends meet in the face of ever-rising costs of living. It’s no wonder people say that ‘adulting is hard’, and we can attest to that every single day.
You have to pay rent, electricity, water, internet, car loans and, hey, let’s not forget that nasty surprise of a medical bill because you sneezed and hurt your back. Now, include holidays into the equation and your expectations of expensive gifts that can easily buy a small country. Of course, they expect us to be some sort of money trees that never stop producing money, yeah?
It is a difficult time at times and the last thing one needs is to be the bank for a number of self-entitled godchildren who seem to think that one has an endless supply of cash. So, here’s a little reality check: we love you, but perhaps, perhaps only, it is important for you to understand that we are people too and we are also trying to find our way in this crazy world.
Aaack, blegh!
Perhaps it is high time that we consider this tradition as rather outdated, don’t you agree? Why not try to value more the things that are not material in forms, instead of waiting for costly presents? What if it is a card with a sweet message or a memory that might not be grand but is dear to the heart? It is high time to return to the very idea of the holiday ~ love, compassion, and tolerance.
Your Ninongs and Ninangs are not available for Christmas
It is important to understand that your ninongs and ninangs are not financial superheroes. We are people with our own needs and our own financial burdens to take care of. This Christmas let us promote a culture that measures the worth of godparenting in love and support and not in money. So, yeah. Your Ninongs and Ninangs are not available for Christmas!
