1st Prize (Diorama) Albert Dancel

Before Santa, mistletoe and Christmas trees, we had belén—Nativity ensembles taking weeks to arrange.  Nowadays we go for blinking plastic lanterns and families that still think belén have maybe a dozen figures—Holy Family; Three Kings; one or two townspeople; and token sheep, cow and donkey.

The brilliant standout is Tarlac (“Belén Capital of the Philippines”) where home and outdoor nativity scenes outdo each other in originality.  For three years now, the “Belenismo sa Tarlac” competition has been challenging Tarlaqueño imagination.  Thanks to the Tarlac Heritage Foundation (and its moving spirits Isabel Cojuangco Suntay and Dr. Isa Suntay), the marvelous show rewards local people and travelers weary of fake snow and Jingle Bells.

Belenísimo is what I chanced upon in Madrid the other year.  Mounted in an enormous salón of the Palacio Real, a spectacular antique belén had some 600 figures—residents of the village of Bethlehem, balikbayans (Mary and Joseph) and tourists (Melchor and company).

After all, “Belén” is Spanish for Bethlehem and the Palacio Real recreation is how its makers of 200 years ago imagined the place to be when the Three Kings arrived—buildings; people hanging out the wash, cooking, babysitting; carousers at a tavern; fish, meat, fruit, bread vendors; beggars; hooligans (some in jail); grand ladies in their carriages; farmers plowing; shepherds watching their flocks by night.

Kings don’t travel alone and Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar each had Ministers, bodyguards, alalay, cooks and waiters, baggage.  The African King was on a palanquin atop an elephant.  His harem came along, Reina Numero Uno on a hammock cooled by fan bearers.

An angel had announced the Nativity to shepherds and a dozen were already on their way to the stable with sheep and sheep dogs.  Seventeen (I counted) angels hovered above.

Also on exhibit were what remained of the belén ordered by Carlos III for his son and heir.  It had 6,000 figures, plus objects like silver platters for a King’s supper.  The main characters, dressed in silk and velvet, were half a meter high.

A short walk away, Plaza Mayor was filled with hundreds of stalls selling all sorts of belén characters and accessories (e.g., palm trees).  Families buy a few figures each year, making their home belén more and more elaborate with each passing Christmas.

A highly developed industry, the characters are traditional and are in scale and standard sizes.  I got me four-inch high figures:  la castañera (an old woman roasting chestnuts), a fishmonger, a pot vendor, people bearing gifts – a wheel of cheese, a sack of oranges.  I’m hoping to have more Madrid Christmases future and keep my Manila belén growing.

Hopefully too, Tarlac’s Belenismo inspires entrepreneurs (like SM’s Kultura Filipina, Tesoro’s and Balikbayan Handicrafts), to kickoff a new cultural industry—a bustling Pinóy Belenísimo.

Would you believe fishball vendor; ukay-ukay stall; jeepneys and tricycles; teenagers at basketball, lambanóg-fuddled elders at karaoke; fruitcake gift giver; Manila Bulletin newsboy; jueteng collector; candidate and showbiz folk politicking—most undoubtedly unmindful, uncaring, that Christ is born. 
Comments are cordially invited, addressed to walalang@mb.com.ph.