Phillipines

The Christmas dinner in the Philippines is called Noche Buena by locals.

This usually comes after the entire family has attended a late evening mass called Misa De Gallo, or "midnight mass" in Spanish.

The centerpiece of a Filipino Christmas dinner is often the jamon or Christmas ham, which is usually a cured leg of pork ham. It is usually served with Queso de Bola, an edam cheese ball served popularly during the Christmas season in the Philippines.

Middle-class and affluent families tend to prepare a gracious dinner, including lechon or spit-roasted pig, lumpia, escabeche, adobo, rellenong manok (stuffed chicken), mechado (beef stew), caldereta (spicy beef stew) and other popular Filipino fare.

Lower-income families would tend to prepare a dinner of much cheaper proportions but nevertheless it is always a Philippine custom to spend more on what a family would consume on a regular dinner for the Noche Buena.

The dinner would usually be accompanied with "Tsokolate" or hot chocolate, which is Filipino in style since it is made with pure, locally-grown cacao beans. Some Filipino families prefer hot chocolate made from "tableas" or chocolate tablets.

The importance of the family in Filipino culture is highlighted during the Noche Buena since members from even the extended branches of the family are always expected to come and join in the celebration.

Filipino families prefer to exchange Christmas presents right after the dinner, which is different from the usual Western culture of opening presents on the morning of Christmas Day.

Recipe for Rellenong Manok (Stuffed Chicken): http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/rellenong_manok.htm

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