CHRISTMAS GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL, SAN FERNANDO PAMPANGA (December 16, 2000)

The Town of San Fernando in the Northern Philippine Province of Pampanga is the site of the annual Giant Christmas Lantern Festival. A colorful parol (christmas lantern) making contest releases the creativity of every Cabalen (Pampanga natives). They give their best to create the biggest, most colorful, most thematic and the most artistic and innovative parol.

The highlight of the festival will be on the 16th of December. The competing lanterns will be paraded on the streets of the town accompanied by music and festive dancing. The judging will be held at the newly opened SM City Pampanga Mall. The winning entries will then be displayed at either the Paskuhan Village, San Fernando or at the Metropolitan Church of San Fernando.

The (Parol) Christmas Lantern symbolizes the star (scholars believed it to be the north star) that guided the three wise men from the east to where the messiah will be born. The star is said to have shone brighter than the rest and its main focus was on a lonely manger that housed the new born saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.