By The SUN
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| While Simbang Gabi in churches is back, the Christmas Eve mass in Chater is still off the cards |
Emerging from a two-year lull of Christmas festivities due to Covid-19, devout Filipino Catholics could expect bigger crowds in churches across the territory as countdown to Christmas Day begins on December 15.
With Covid-19 restrictions easing further as of
November 17, allowing churches to admit even those on Amber Health Code to hear
mass, Catholics could now look forward to a better attended Simbang Gabi.
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That means, a bigger proportion of the estimated 177,000 Filipino Catholics in Hong Kong (or about 44% of all 401,000 Catholics in the territory as of August 2021) could be attending the nine-day devotional masses, or between December 15 to 23.
Simbang Gabi will be held at 9pm in some churches like St St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Central, or at 8pm or earlier in others, like St Jude’s in North Point.
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Though not all of the Catholic Diocese’s 39 churches and 29 chapels across the territory will hold Simbang Gabi, all will keep their traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
At Resurrection’s Church in Kwun Tong, for example, English mass will be held at 9pm on December 24 or Christmas Eve, and at 3pm on Christmas Day.
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The traditional Simbang Gabi, a devotional, nine-day series of masses in anticipation of Christmas, is unique to Filipino Catholics. While some believe their wishes will come true if they complete these masses, others do so as part of tradition and an affirmation of their faith.
The practice originated in the early days of Spanish rule in the Philippines, when evening novenas used to be held in the lead up to Christmas. Being devout Catholics, Filipinos in the provinces who were mostly farmers, would attend despite toiling all day in the heat.
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As a compromise, priests began to say masses in the early morning before people went out to work in the fields. Thus, Simbang Gabi used to be held between 3am and 6am, from December 16 to 24, across the Philippines.
But lately, the mass schedules shifted back to early
evening, with some churches in the Philippines, especially those in malls, now
holding it as early as 6pm starting on December 15.
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(For those who wish to know the exact details of mass schedules in
Hong Kong, you can contact the HK Catholic Social Communications Office
directly at 3565 2045).
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