Us Filipinos are a religious bunch. Thanks to our over 300 years of Spanish\ncolonial experience, our faith and belief has been instilled by them, that we\ncontinue to practice up to present. One\nof the notable traditions that we look forward to is the Misa de Gallo, or as\nwe commonly refer to as Simbang Gabi.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Simbang Gabi is a devotional nine-day dawn masses that leads to Christmas Eve.\u00a0 These are usually done at dawn, ranging from three to five in the morning, with the ninth mass celebrated a day before Christmas eve, the birth of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many believe that if one\ngets to complete the nine-day masses, the request or petition made is granted,\nas seen in the magnitude of churchgoers attending the Simbang Gabi. But aside from the devotion exhibited, the\nfood that one can enjoy after the Simbang Gabi is also an anticipated affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local delicacies like puto bumbong, puto, budbod and bibingka are the Simbang Gabi favorites.\u00a0 As early as 3 AM, vendors sell these delicious eats outside the church grounds, getting ready for the churchgoers to get their fill after every mass.\u00a0 These hot snacks fill the tummies of the parishioners as they go about their day, be it going directly to work, to school or go home to prepare for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These freshly-cooked rice cakes are festive to look at.\u00a0 The puto bumbong is in bright purple hue complete with coconut shavings and brown sugar when served. Some would also add some butter and shredded cheese on top. Bibingka on the other hand is usually yellow in color, also with coconut shavings or a slice of salted egg to top it off (though this variety is not very famous in Cebu).<\/p>\n\n\n\n