It’s a quarter past five in the afternoon. The sun has begun to set, and the moon now starts to rise, ready to give light to the pitch black skies. At the same time, a gentle light weaves around the corners through the mist of this serene cloak of darkness.
Standing tall like a sentinel in the night, the lampposts create a beacon for when the twilight comes. Every evening, it’s the same thing. Nothing has changed, nothing is new; to be the only warm, amber hue spilling on these cobblestone streets has always been its sole responsibility—luckily, this lamppost wasn’t all alone this time of the year.
In the far right distance, alternating colors of luck and love can be seen glowing at each other, emphasizing fortune, romance, and balance radiated by this annual season. The stunning colors all reflected at different angles, yet they shined through every beating heart in town.
The lamppost stares with a hint of confusion. A perfectly round shape moving along to the music of the night, its pointy edges add a touch of frost in the breeze.
It was quite an odd face, really. Odd, yet vaguely familiar—until it clicked.
“Can it be?” the lamppost exclaims. The brightly colored lights went up one by one until they completely illuminated the streets, adding to the silver, pure light emitted by the lampposts.
The colors now bloom in a sequential pattern. Every corner and in every block, a lamppost is partnered with a colorful Christmas greeting. And in just a split second, it was this lamppost’s turn to face its own lantern—a parol, as they prefer to call it.
“At last, a friend,” the lamppost says with glee and relief.
The nights continue to pass; at the same time, every night, a parol lights up to shimmer brighter than a star in these lonesome streets.
Every year, the lanterns make sure that they give all the brightest colors for the town to see. And from these Christmas lanterns, every color creates a story for the people.
Yellow—bright and joyous as a Christmas baby’s laughter; the lamppost shines as bright as every kid in town while carolers sing in a crescendo of melodies, adding a harmonious delight to the Christmas festivities.
Green is a mirror that reflects all kinds of families living in these bright streets during this Christmas season. No matter the situation, no matter the decoration—each and every one is reminded of the special love, calmness, and purity the relationship of a family brings.
And shimmering on its post with glee, the color Orange. It’s a display of the Filipino Christmas celebration, becoming brighter and louder than the kids running around with coins jiggling in their pockets, or the laughter of families with long-distance relatives finally arriving for the holidays.
The lamppost is a sentinel that gives a warm light; a light that ensures safety, protection, and clear vision for all. The lamppost is pleased to stand with guard and security.
Somewhat similarly, the parol also shines as an annual decoration, but more than an ornament, it is an emblem of the Filipino Christmas tradition.
The lamppost is delighted for its parol that shines such glorious and impressive rays—knitting everyone’s Christmas stories with just a twinkle of a light.
Piece by Mariel Angela Morada
