Since the time of their ancestors, millions of Filipino families find in the "Simbang Gabi" tradition a fitting vessel of sacrifice and spiritual preparedness in anticipation of the birth of the Savior.

At the same time, last- minute holiday shopping makes for the human traffic inside low-end bargain centers especially those in Divisoria.

Despite the hard times, shoppers searching for bargains fill malls and tiangges amid bumper-to- bumper traffic on main thoroughfares.

Human and vehicular traffic begin hours before sunrise and after sundown, made worse by street vendors crowding the streets leading to popular bargain shopping centers.

The thinning wallets of Filipinos force them to limit holiday gifts only to immediate members of their families, especially grandchildren. Made-in-China goods selling at very low prices are high on the list of consumer items that vanish within hours after display.

Even in the United States, made-in-China garments and toys claimed a good portion of the holiday budget among American families.

The National Retailers’ Association reported that shoppers, including Filipino-American households, approximately spent an average of $ 360 per family on their first day of Christmas shopping, 19 percent higher than last year.

In churches, meantime, priests wearing white vestments highlight their homilies with Biblical narrations tracing the lineage of Jesus to the House of David as foretold by the prophets centuries before the birth of the Son of God.

The pealing of bells at the crack of dawn calling on the faithful to be in church on time, lends an enduring extra layer of festive air to millions of Filipinos looking forward to celebrate the gift of Redemption.

Church attendance is enhanced by returning "balikbayans" from the country’s 7.3 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) spread all over the world.

"Simbang Gabi" is a rich tradition among Filipinos that helps rekindle happy Christmas memories of their growing years.

And it is a joyful reminder to present generations to carry the torch of Christmas family traditions observed since the time of their ancestors.