After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. –Matthew 2:9-10

The different colored star-shaped lanterns, called parols, are generating the spirit of Christmas as people at the workshop learn how to make them and have fun designing and giving their own twist to this Filipino tradition.

The Filipino community center called The Bayanihan Center in San Francisco’s SOMA district holds parol-making workshops to continue this tradition and to try to capture the spirit of how the Philippines celebrate Christmas and share it here in America.

Parols are named after the Spanish word farol, which means lantern, and are made especially for Christmas to symbolize the star that the three wise men followed to find the infant Jesus. The light that stars bring symbolizes hope, and parols have become not only a Christmas ornament, but an expression of Christian and Filipino identity.

“I thought it was just a Christmas decoration, but there’s more meaning behind it,” says twenty-eight-year-old Franz Jundis, who has participated in the workshops for four years.

Fifty-two-year-old MC Canlas, the workshop’s coordinator, started the program in 2003. He’s from San Fernando, Pampanga in the Philippines, where parols are most popular.

Canlas says that growing up, knowing how to make parols was like a rite of passage. In the town known as the epicenter of parols, everyone was expected to know how to make one. Canlas remembers his dad and uncle cutting down their own bamboo and cleaning it in preparation for making parols.

“Bayanihan” refers to a Filipino tradition where neighbors and friends would literally lift up and carry a family’s home to where they were moving, but through the years, the word has changed to mean a community coming together and achieving a goal to keep the feeling of being one big family alive. Canlas explains how “bayanihan” is especially felt during the holidays in the Philippines, and while he was growing up there in the sixties and seventies, he felt the spirit of togetherness and Christmas when everyone in his hometown joined in to make their parols.

This feeling of unity is what makes Canlas continue this tradition here in America through these workshops and the Parol Lantern Parade in San Francisco, now in its sixth year. The workshop is a bridge for different generations and cultures, with participants ranging from toddlers to grandparents, Filipinos and non-Filipinos.

“Holidays are always a special time, and I wanted to do something that supports my husband’s culture,” says forty-year-old Stephanie Isaacson. “I also want to expose my son to other not-so-typical Christmas decorations.”

The three-dimensional star frame is made out of bamboo. Luckily, there are bamboo sticks sold already cut and ready to go. After the star frame is made, it can be wrapped with tissue paper or cellophane and, later, decorated with garlands or streamers. The crafter also has the choice to put light inside the frame to give it a glowing effect.

“Making a parol enhances your creativity,” Canlas says. “It’s like solving a puzzle. It’s challenging, but at the end it turns out to be beautiful.”

The materials for the workshops are imported from the Philippines. The city of San Francisco has been paying for the supplies since 2003, but because of the current economic situation, the center has had to find other ways (like donations) to fund the materials this year.

Today in the Philippines, Christmas decorations are getting more commercialized and people are buying Christmas trees and other ornaments at the mall. Instead of traditionally making parols by hand, people are just buying ready-made ones at the market.

“I remember my parents always buying parols when we go to the Philippines,” says twenty-nine-year-old Jocel Tablante. “I’ve always been curious in making one, and making one feels like I’m being a part of the tradition.

Although people in the Philippines may not be making parols by hand as much as they used to, Canlas thinks that because America has so much ethnic diversity, people are more interested in promoting and taking part in their cultural traditions.

“I’m exposed to Filipino tradition, but not every day, so this is something I can relate to,” says twelve-year-old Nicholas Sy, who’s going around the workshop tables to help teach people who are having difficulty.
“I always saw parols in front of homes, but I never had one; that’s why I’m making one for my mom,” says twenty-two-year-old Audrey Reyes, who’s making her first parol.

Canlas’ enthusiasm about community building through teaching how to make parols is what brings new people into the workshop and keeps people coming back year after year. In a country like America, which houses so many different ethnic holiday traditions, parols are just one of the many that are lighting up the December nights, making the holiday season brighter.