FILIPINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF GOUDA & SURROUNDINGS

EL SHADDAI AMSTERDAM CHAPTER

FILIPINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF DORDRECHT

FILIPINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF HOOFDDORP

TULONG KABAYAN (SARO, FILMIS & MCVO)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF BREDA

about the SIMBANG GABI 2023

Simbang Gabi or “evening or night Mass,” is a series of nine evening Masses. It is a Filipino Christmas tradition, held during Advent from December 16-24 (with some starting it on the 15) in preparation for Christmas Day. It originated from the Missa Aurea (golden Mass) practiced by the Roman Catholic Church. The concept was brought by the Spanish friars in the Philippines to allow farmers to hear mass before going to the fields in the morning.

However, Simbang Gabi is not just a tradition. It is a spiritual way to prepare for Christmas. In this way, we worship and praise God. It is an offer of sacrifice and to seek blessings from the Lord.

For 2023, the community, in partnership with other Filipino Communities in the Netherlands, brought the Simbang Gabi to different parts of the Netherlands. Communities involved hosted a night or two of Simbang Gabi in their location and church. This allowed their community members to attend a night of Simbang Gabi Mass but some went also to other communities' to attend the other masses.

The following were our goals for the Simbang Gabi 2023 are:

- Prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christmas in line with our Catholic faith.

- Popularize this Filipino tradition in the Dutch setting and hopefully also attract non-Filipinos to join and understand the value of this tradition.

- Foster inter-communities’ cooperation and unity. 

The Philippines Embassy in the Hague also helped in promoting the Simbang Gabi for our fellow Kababayans.

The Simbang Gabi brought people and communities together in preparation for the celebration of Christmas, in the Philippines' tradition.