Philippines – Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library

Simbang Gabi

Simbang Gabi: December 16-24

Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Christmas celebration that takes place from December 16 to December 24, concluding with Misa de Gallo at the Midnight Mass. Simbang Gabi is a Novena, or a nine-day festival, similar to the Mexican Las Posadas and other Navidad celebrations in the Spanish speaking world.

Dating back hundreds of years to the beginning of Spanish rule over the Philippines, Simbang Gabi emerged as a distinctly Filipino celebration of Christmas. One of the features that developed in response to the agricultural practices of Filipino farmers is that the services are carried out in the very early morning, sometimes as early as 3:00 AM.

Many Canadians trace their roots to the Philippines, including many students here at Lord Tweedsmuir. Ask some of your fellow students about Simbang Gabi! You can also find out more here:

Check out your School Library’s current display of books: “Holidays and Holy Days.”

Simbang Gabi

Simbang Gabi: December 16-24

Many Canadians trace their roots to the Philippines, including many students here at Lord Tweedsmuir. Ask some of your fellow students about Simbang Gabi! You can also find out more here:

Check out your School Library’s current display of books: “Holidays and Holy Days.”

Asian Canadians

Asia is a big place. Really big. Today nearly 2 in 3 human beings live in Asia. That’s over 4 billion people. Asia is the biggest continent by area, divided into many regions and nearly 50 different countries.

Nearly 20% of Canadians trace their family heritage to Asia. Some are recent immigrants while some families have been here for generations. Canadians of Asian descent have brought a multitude of languages, beliefs, histories and cultural practices to contribute to Canada as we know it today.

During the month of May we will be celebrating the great contributions of Canadians of Asian Heritage to the development of our country. We will also look at the many contributions of Asian culture, art, food, history and more. We will see that Asia is an incredibly diverse place and has made incredibly diverse contributions to Canada.

Come down to the School Library to see some of our titles on display for Asian Heritage Month. Here are just a few:

Simbang Gabi (December 16-24)

Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Christmas celebration. Similar to the Mexican Las Posadas and other Navidad celebrations in the Spanish speaking world, Simbang Gabi is a Novena, or a nine-day festival. Dating back hundreds of years to the beginning of Spanish rule over the Philippines, Simbang Gabi emerged as a distinctly Filipino celebration of Christmas. One of the features that developed in response to the agricultural practices of Filipino farmers is that the services are carried out in the very early morning, sometimes as early as 3:00 AM.

Simbang Gabi begins on December 16 and concludes with the Misa de Gallo on December 24.

Many Canadians trace their roots to the Philippines, including many students here at Lord Tweedsmuir. Ask some of your fellow students about Simbang Gabi! You can also find out more here:

Check out your School Library’s current display of books: “Holidays and Holy Days.”

Simbang Gabi (December 16-24)

Simbang Gabi begins on December 16 and concludes with the Misa de Gallo on December 24.

Many Canadians trace their roots to the Philippines, including many students here at Lord Tweedsmuir. Ask some of your fellow students about Simbang Gabi! You can also find out more here:

Check out your School Library’s current display of books: “Holidays and Holy Days.”