Lighting of the Christmas Lantern at the PH Embassy in Athens
The façade of the Philippine Embassy Chancery was decorated with Christmas lanterns and Christmas lights for the Lighting of the Christmas Lantern event. (Athens PE photo)

ATHENS 02 January 2020 — The Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece successfully hosted the “Lighting of the Christmas Lantern” at the Philippine Embassy’s Chancery on 16 December 2019. 

The event was organized to introduce guests to Philippine Christmas traditions and featured the lighting of six Christmas lanterns or “parols” as these are called in the Philippines. 

Christmas is an important occasion in the Philippines and the “parol” is an important symbol of the occasion for Filipinos.  The event was held, to coincide with the first day of “Simbang Gabi,” literally meaning “Night Mass,” a nine-day series of Catholic masses, held from 16 to 24 December in the Philippines. 

The “parol” became associated with the “Simbang Gabi” because it is said to be used to light the way for the people going to mass which are held before dawn.  The practice was said to have originated during the early days of Spanish rule in the Philippines.

In her welcome remarks, Philippine Embassy in Athens Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Rosario P. Lemque noted that the 500-day countdown to the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines started two days ago on 14 December 2019.  She mentioned that the year 1521 is significant to the Philippines because it was when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines, introduced Christianity which marked the start of the celebration of Christmas in Filipino households. 

The “Lighting of the Christmas Lantern” was graced by the presence of the following special guests which include Thai Ambassador to Greece Chailert Limsomboon, Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece and Mrs. Manh Cuong Nguyen, Department of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counsellor of the Protocol Andreas-Konstantinos Gouras, Indonesian Embassy First Secretary (Economic Affairs) Fransiskus Xaverius Widiyarso, Saint Denis Cathedral Parish Priest Fr. George Altouvas, Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist Parochial Vicar Fr. Javier Perez Victoria, and Ms. Styliani Chatzopoulou, a Greek Language Instructor who is currently teaching Greek lessons to Philippine Embassy’s officers and staff members.

Guest were entertained with Filipino Christmas Carols sung by members of the Philippine Embassy staff, their children, and by three young talented members of the Filipino community in Athens, Ms. Rissa Martinez Pasion, Ms. Eunice Christel Manigbas, and Mr. Anthony Kier Carbonel.  The three young Filipino community talents were all contestants of the 2018 DZMM Global Pinoy Singing Idol where Anthony emerged as the grand winner while Eunice was the second runner-up as well as the Filipino Channel’s (TFC) People’s Choice awardee.  Anthony and Eunice finished third in the recently concluded X-Factor Greece Final competition held on 18 December 2019.

Food and drinks served during the event are popular Filipino delicacies such as pancit, lumpia, chicken embutido, queso de bola, pan de sal, biko, sapin-sapin, pichi-pichi, buchi, salabat, and Destileria Limtuaco’s Manille Liqueur De Calamansi and Manille Liqueur De Dalandan. END

 Philippine Embassy in Athens Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Rosario P. Lemque, welcomes Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece and Mrs. Manh Cuong Nguyen to the Lighting of the Christmas Lantern event of the Philippine Embassy. (Athens PE photo)

Philippine Embassy in Athens Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Rosario P. Lemque (in blue attire), together with guests, listens to the singing of Filipino Christmas carols. (Athens PE photo)

Thai Ambassador to Greece Chailert Limsomboon signs the guestbook for the Lighting of the Christmas Lantern. (Athens PE photo)

 Philippine Embassy in Athens First Secretary and Consul Judy Barbara G. Robianes (rightmost) was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. (Athens PE photo)

Ms. Rita Martinez Pasion of the Filipino Community serenades the guests with Filipino Christmas carols. (Athens PE photo)

Guests sampling the Filipino delicacies prepared for the occasion by the Philippine Embassy. (Athens PE photo)

First Secretary and Consul Judy Barbara G. Robianes (left) with Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist Parochial Vicar Fr. Javier Perez Victoria (right). (Athens PE photo)

 The Children of the Philippine Embassy performs “Christmas in Our Hearts” to the guests’ delight. (Athens PE photo)

Mrs. Jo Grace C. Kau (leftmost) of the Philippine Embassy serenades the guests during the Lighting of the Christmas Lantern event. (Athens PE photo)

Personnel Philippine Embassy in Athens serenades the guests with their rendition of “Pasko Na Naman.” (Athens PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.athenspe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinGreece/.