1.
The Christmas tree is already set up in October.
2.
The Christmas lights on the house are never taken down... only plugged in when it's Christmas season.
3.
You spend the lead up to Christmas packing a balikbayan box to send to your family in the Philippines.
4.
So your mum makes sure she shops around Woolies, Coles and ALDI for the best deals on chocolate.
5.
The Christmas Eve party is bigger than the celebration on Christmas Day.
6.
And you see at least one parol hung up at the party.
7.
You stumble over everyone's shoes stacked at the front door.
8.
Which makes it hard to leave when everyone wears black Havaianas.
9.
The food table is filled with dishes in bain-maries and aluminium trays.
10.
You spend Christmas Eve wrapping lumpia instead of unwrapping gifts.
11.
Lechon, or part of a lechon makes an appearance.
12.
Your multiple godparents try to give you money while your parents beg them not to.
13.
Someone whips out the Magic Sing.
14.
And someone forces you to sing for all the guests.
15.
All the titas and titos sit in a group drinking and talking over a cheeky game of Mahjong.
16.
And all the kids gather in a room away from the adults.
17.
Then you're forced to go to midnight mass.
18.
You open your gifts on Christmas morning and one is always a set of pyjamas.
19.
Your mum busts out the walis tingting to dust the front of the house before all your family arrive.
20.
The food spread has both Christmas ham and leftovers from the Christmas Eve party.
21.
There is salad, but as usual there is also rice.
22.
Christmas lunch is completed with cherries, pavlova, and of course, halo-halo.
23.
There's two types of fruit salad placed on the dining table.
24.
All your titas and titos come over for leftovers and round two of karaoke.
25.
And if you don't own a Magic Sing, the tita that does will bring it with her.
26.
You end up eating leftover Christmas dishes until they go off.
27.
And of course, the Christmas tree doesn't come down until February.
