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gunsatthaphan · 2 months ago

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~ Monthly BL Breakdown: October 2024 ~

☔️ Happy November!!! 🍂 (and Happy Halloween 🎃👻)

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Fourever You - October 3rd (Thailand)

🌟 Uncle Unknown - October 4th (Taiwan)

🌟 My Damn Business - October 5th (South Korea)

🌟 Every You, Every Me - October 6th (Thailand)

🌟 DMD Friendship: It Takes Two (reality show) - October 6th (Thailand)

🌟 Eccentric Romance - October 10th (South Korea)

🌟 Blue Complex - October 10th (South Korea)

🌟 Taming the Bad Boy - October 15th (South Korea)

🌟 Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo - October 17th (South Korea)

🌟 Love in the Big City - October 21st (South Korea)

🌟 See Your Love - October 23rd (Taiwan)

🌟 See You (movie) - October 25th (Taiwan)

🌟 Perfect Propose: Dream Edition - October 25th (Japan)

🌟 Blue Canvas of Youthful Days - October 26th (China)

🌟 Perfect 10 Liners - October 27th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Stealing From My CEO - October 27th (China)

Monthly Likes / Dislikes

❣️ - Nothing overwhelming going on lately lol but I'm currently enjoying Peaceful Property a lot, it's so unique and fun and I really hope they consider adding more stuff like this in their 2025 lineup!! 🥺

New series & movie announcements

🎥 8 Hours (sequel to 4 Minutes) - Coming 2025

🎥 A Perfect Match - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Knock Out - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Who Can Define Popularity - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Haunted Hearts - Date TBA (Philippines)

🎥 About Faith - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Love Casting (BL reality show) - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Eyes on You - Date TBA (Hong Kong)

🎥 Winter is not the death of Summer but the birth of Spring - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Beloved Enemy (novel adaption from the author of My Stand In) - Date TBA (?)

🎥 Match Play - Date TBA (South Korea)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The Korean BL Love Class will get a third season, allegedly with the same cast from the previous seasons. Further details are unknown.

❗️ A second season for the Thai BL 4 Minutes was announced titled 8 Hours. The author Sammon will partner with Be On Cloud again and the show will go into production in 2025.

❗️ Actors Mew Suppasit and Tul Pakorn publicly got engaged at the launch event of Mew's new single "Absence".

❗️ The Thai network channel One31 held their 2025 lineup on October 17th. The following BL productions were announced:

Taste

The Wicked Game

Love Carved in the Moonlight

❗️ The Thai production company Idolfactory released a teaser for their upcoming lineup for 2025. The corresponding event will be held on January 12th. The teaser however revealed the following series prior to the event:

Interminable (starring BillyBabe)

My Sweetheart Jom (starring SaintPoom)

Cranium (starring BeckyFreen)

Somewhere Somehow (starring FayMay)

❗️ After it was disclosed that DMD actors Thomas and Kong would no longer participate in the upcoming series The Next Prince, it was announced that Net S. and JJ R. will take the roles of Calvin and Jay respectively.

❗️ GMMTV released a statement saying that the announcement of the winner of the Y-Find contest has been postponed from October 31st to November 30th due to the large number of submissions. Earlier this year the company announced the project as a way for Thai fans to submit original stories, one of which will be chosen to be adapted into a series. Whether or not the postponement will have any effect on the company's upcoming 2025 lineup event is unclear.

Upcoming series & movies for November:

👉🏻 Bad to Bed - November 2nd (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (remake of Love in the Air) - November 3rd (Japan)

👉🏻 Our Youth - November 5th (Japan)

👉🏻 Episode 9. Nineteen, Eighteen (special ep) - November 9th (South Korea)

👉🏻 All the Liquors (movie) - November 13th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Caged Again - November 15th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Your Sky - November 17th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Mhom Ped Sawan (bl side story) - November 17th (Thailand)

#doreens monthly bl breakdown #thai bl #bl drama #upcoming bl #update #bl news #its been another month ladies and gays lmao #may November bring us good food!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 (and THK)

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louisupdates · 4 months ago

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Louis Tomlinson - does it ring with this name? As a singer of the British boy group One Direction, he was successful in the years 2010-2015. Together, the band decided to take a break. It has remained so to this day. In 2016, however, Louis began to take his own path. On his solo paths, the singer-songwriter has developed a style that takes up influences from British rock, alternative and indie pop. His music is often melodic, with catchy guitar riffs and a rather down-to-earth sound reminiscent of British bands of the 2000s. Already his first single Just Hold On sold 1.8 million copies. In 2020 and 2022, he released his two albums Walls and Faith In The Future. This was followed by two incredible world tours with over 170 concerts in 47 countries on 5 continents.

For this, an idea matured - a live album should be created, but a very special one. Thus, individual songs were recorded during the tour. On the 25th In April, the result was surprisingly published digitally. 14 songs have been released. Each of them was recorded in a different city. So the listener at home can also mentally go on a small trip around the world while enjoying the individual songs. Now the physical versions of the live album also followed, which make the concert feeling in the living room perfect. These include four more, exclusive tracks. In addition to the double CD, a double picture vinyl edition is available and it has it all!

The vinyl edition contains a special tour book. Fans were able to submit personal impressions about their concert experiences. And these are now included in this extra booklet. Louis decorated the recordings with individual hearts, smileys or crosses and handwritten the first names of the respective fans. This recorded, mutual appreciation is truly a magical highlight. The 28-page, regular booklet is no less lovingly designed. In addition to the lyrics, you will encounter the London set list, high-quality backstage photos and touching recordings made during the concerts.

Louis is happy about this release: "I have been lucky enough to tour the world twice in the last 3 years. The feeling I get when sharing these live moments will accompany me forever. The opportunity to record these songs anywhere in the world and release them as an album is something very special and a real tribute to the fans, who make every single show a unique and incredible experience. Thank you! Enjoy!"

Right at the opener The Greatest, you seem to be in the middle of the action with your eyes closed. In addition to the live sound, the fans can also be heard clearly. Louis invites them to tune in with him: "Sing it with me!" And they do! The spirited mood comes across clearly. In the meantime, the fans also get the space to sing alone. You get used to the choruses and the delighted shouts from the audience very quickly. In Bigger Than Me, the British singer gives space for personal growth and self-reflection. In the song, Louis describes how he deals with the changes in his life and realizes that life is bigger than himself. He talks about taking responsibility for his actions and decisions, especially with regard to his career and the people who support him. The song contains a powerful perspective on growing up and taking responsibility.

Holding On To Heartache puts the fans in great excitement. screams welcome the gentle song. This is about how difficult it is to let go of the pain after a breakup. It's about holding on to grief because it's connected with the memories of lost love, and it's not easy to finally finish with the past. The single We Made It is powerful. In the booklet, the single was translated into Filipino - after all, the recording comes from the concert in the Philippines. Although Louis sings the title in English, this hidden greeting is really adorable. By the way, this approach can be found several times in the booklet. For example, All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, the titles played in Munich, were also translated into German, for example.

High In California, for example, can only be found on the physical editions of the album. This lightness that the song contains is clearly noticeable. This is about escaping everyday life and getting lost in a state of freedom and lightheartedness. The lifestyle and atmosphere of California make you forget your worries and problems for a moment - just as is the case with Louis' concerts. Here you feel protected and can escape all negative thoughts.

Common People is about the appreciation of ordinary people and their experiences. The song deals with life in everyday life and how important it is to connect with the "ordinary" people and understand their perspectives. Challenges and struggles that many people experience should be taken seriously instead of romanticizing them. It is his tribute to the authenticity and reality of life. It therefore becomes gently rocking with All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class. Here you rock with real fun from the sofa. The groovy guitars do the rest:

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In Walls, delicate strings underline the song about emotional barriers and the struggle to show themselves vulnerable. Louis addresses the need to dismantle one's own walls in order to enable real connections with other people. It is an honest and personal song about vulnerability, love and the desire for closeness, despite the difficulties that can be associated with it. Louis calls on his fans: "Here we go! Scream" and together the fans sing with their idol: "But these high walls, they came up short. Now I stand taller than them all. These high walls never broke my soul. And I, I watched them all come fallin' down. I watched them all come fallin' down for you."

Out Of My System is then reached harder into the guitar strings. The drums are also picking up speed. With the fast track, the good mood is at a peak. This is about the internal conflicts and the difficulties of freeing yourself from the emotional burdens, while at the same time trying to find yourself and your identity. Overall, it is an energetic track about the process of leaving the past behind and starting over. In Paris, Louis is impressed by his crowd: "This looks fucking amazing!" With a warm voice, he performs Saturdays - a song that clearly reminds you of Oasis.

Silver Tongues is accompanied by a lively piano playing and you can really imagine how the euphoric fans on site shine with shere joy and rock them together again. "Krakow, you have been absolutety incredible tonight. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sing this next one with me, here we go... as loud as you can!” And the crowd settles in: "You and me until the end. Wakin' up to start again. You and me until the end. Wakin' up to start again. There's nowhere else that I would rather be."

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The record ends with Kill My Mind from Santiano. Louis sings of a roller coaster of emotions in a passionate, but also chaotic relationship. It's about the challenge of letting yourself be overwhelmed by the feelings and the inner struggle that arises when you are trapped in a relationship that is both exciting and stressful.

Louis Tomlinson and his crew have succeeded in a truly remarkable work. What is actually the advantage of a live album? You are not terribly sweaty, the way home is not imminent and you do not fall into the aftershow blues like a real gig afterwards, but can simply start all over again. 🙂

Louis Tomlinson's album Live was released on 23.08.2024 as a CD and vinyl via the label BMG.

Tracklist LOUIS TOMLINSON - Live (Vinyl Edition)

01. The Greatest - Live from London, 17.11.2023

02. Face The Music - Live from Nashville, 07/18/2023

03. Bigger Than Me - Live from Vancouver, 26.06.2023

04. Holding On To Heartache - Live from Barcelona, 06.10.2023

05. We Made It - Live from Manila, 16.07.2022

06. Chicago - Live from Chicago, 15.06.2023

07. High In California , Live from Amsterdam, 15.10.2023

08. Fearless, Live from Rio, 27.05.2022

09. Common People, Live from Sheffield, 10.11.2023

10. All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, Live from Munich, 22.10.2023

11. Walls, Live from Buenos Aires, 21.05.2022

12. Only The Brave, Live from Milan, 03.09.2022

13. Written All Over Your Face, Live from Budapest, 15.09.2023

14. Out Of My System, Live from Brisbane, 30.01.2024

15. Saturdays, Live from Paris, 14.10.2023

16. Silver Tongues, Live from Krakow, 10.09.2023

17. Kill My Mind, Live from Santiago, 15.05.2022

Tracklist LOUIS TOMLINSON - Live (2CD Edition)

Disk 1

01. The Greatest, Live from London, 17.11.2023

02. Face The Music - Live from Nashville, 07/18/2023

03. Bigger Than Me - Live from Vancouver, 26.06.2023

04. Holding On To Heartache - Live from Barcelona, 06.10.2023

05. We Made It - Live from Manila, 16.07.2022

06. Chicago - Live from Chicago, 15.06.2023

07. High In California , Live from Amsterdam, 15.10.2023

08. Fearless, Live from Rio, 27.05.2022

09. Common People, Live from Sheffield, 10.11.2023

Disk 2

01. All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, Live from Munich, 22.10.2023

02. Walls, Live from Buenos Aires, 21.05.2022

03. Written All Over Your Face, Live from Budapest, 15.09.2023

04. Out Of My System, Live from Brisbane, 30.01.2024

05. Saturdays, Live from Paris, 14.10.2023

06. Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Live from Tallinn, 05.09.2023

07. Silver Tongues, Live from Krakow, 10.09.2023

#louis tomlinson: live #Louis promo #louis press #26.8.2024

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captain-price-unofficially · 10 months ago

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25th Infantry Division troops burn out a Japanese pill box at Baguio in the Philippines, 23 March 1945.

#March #wwii #battle of the Philippines #pacific theater

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ironborealis · 10 months ago

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Head canon: Alastor is old enough that he likely was drafted into World War I, and probably early on (1917) given the known biases of the all-white draft boards. His time in the military is where he falls in love with Radio.

Some history and more thoughts beneath the cut...

First, the history:

Due to Racism there were only a few regiments that Alastor would have been allowed to serve in, if he could or chose not pass as white during WW1: the 24th or 25th Infantry Regiment (stationed in Texas/New Mexico or Hawai'i), the 9th or 10th Calvary Regiment (stationed in Arizona or the Philippines)

World War I is also when the US Military, partially at the pressure of African Americans, started experimenting with larger all-black Divisions (that would include black commanding officers), resulting in the 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions, both of whom served in France.

These regiments and divisions were poorly treated, poorly outfitted (Civil War uniforms allegedly handed out), inadequately trained, and the 92nd especially endured a nasty PR campaign from white superior officers to make them look incompetent and cowardly.

The 92nd Division, however, had it's own field signal battalions who were responsible for setting up communication between the front lines and command headquarters, with a whole company dedicated to establishing radio communications.

Back to head canon:

Alastor returns home from a war so gruesome it was supposed to end all wars, where he did the honorable thing and served his country, only to be treated to the same old racist bullshit with a heaping side of pointless bloodshed. He's witnessed the abuse of his fellow soldiers by white command staff who frequently throw them into situations they're not equipped or trained for (and then blame them for the inevitable failure).

The only good thing to come out the entire shit show of the last 2 years is that he's met the love of his life: Radio. He knows how to build and troubleshoot radio equipment, valuable skills in the current boom in civilian radio stations. He's learned how to drop his accent so he can be better understood over the air, and is working on that fancy transatlantic accent everyone is going nuts for.

He also knows how to kill someone for a "righteous" cause.

He can't wait to put all his new skills to work

#hazbin hotel #headcanon #alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #alastor the radio demon

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reallyhardydraws · 1 month ago

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time ⏰ for my weekly catch-up...

howdy all it's MONDAY 📅 and my emails/internet connection are FIGHTING ME this morning -- doing my best to send out replies about commission enquiries.

keep 'em coming if you want them before the 25th december: i'm going to be visiting family in the philippines 🇵🇭 from the 18th dec so i need all commission enquiries emailed to me before like... the 8th dec to give me time to do them before i leave. here's a few recent commissions -- i always get a kick out of bringing people's OCs to life.

oven gloves are available on my ko-fi store too! trying to juggle my time between commissions and sewing before i have to close up shop for the winter.

i'm excited! but also stressed. it's my first xmas 🎄 away since i was 11 (bloody hell. that's 17 years ago.) as well as my first time leaving the UK 🇬🇧 in about 5 years... and i don't usually take the time off what with my all-over-the-place freelance existence, but i've been trying to save up, so things should be okay. every little helps though, innit.

#loren reallyhardydraws' weekly catch up post #shall i start making these an Official Thing and tagging them haha or is that obnoxious. thinking of treating tumblr like a blog again

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lokisasylum · 5 months ago

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BTS' Jimin dominated the entire Billboard chart, showing off his world-class presence as a solo singer.

According to the latest chart (dated August 3) released by Billboard, an American music media outlet, Jimin's "Who" ranked 14th on Billboard's main song chart, the "Hot 100," demonstrating its potential to achieve the highest K-pop ranking in 2024 with only streaming and sales, without any radio promotion, on a chart filled with hits from powerful pop stars.

With this, Jimin has achieved the feat of entering the charts with a total of 6 songs in just over 2 years since his solo activities, including “Like Crazy,” the first K-pop solo to reach No. 1 on the “Hot 100,” along with “Set Me Free Part 2” (No. 30), “Angel Part 1” (No. 65), “Vibe” (No. 76), and “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” (No. 88).

‘Who’ is the third K-pop artist to simultaneously top Billboard’s ‘Global 200’ and ‘Global (Excl. US)’ charts. Along with ‘Who’, ‘Smeraldo Garden Marching Band’ (60th), ‘Be Mine’ (123rd), ‘Slow Dance’ (159th), and ‘Reverse’ (187th) also entered the ‘Global 200’ chart. On the ‘Global (Excl. US)’ chart, all of the songs on the album successfully entered the chart, including ��Smeraldo Garden Marching Band’ (22nd), ‘Be Mine’ (74th), ‘Slow Dance’ (96th), ‘Reverse’ (112th), ‘Closer Than This’ (123rd), and ‘Interlude: Showtime’ (200th).

Not only that, "Who" also topped Billboard's "Digital Song Sales" chart, making Jimin the K-pop solo artist with the most number-one hits (six) on the same chart. Jimin also made it to the chart for the 14th time with "Be Mine" at number 21.

Jimin, who became the first and only K-pop solo artist to top Billboard's "Artist 100" chart with "Face" last year, rose to No. 2 this time, achieving a total of 12 weeks on the chart, and "Who," which ranked 25th on the "Streaming Songs" chart, recorded the highest ranking solo song by a K-pop solo artist in the past 10 years.

The new album 'Muse' ranked 2nd on the main album chart 'Billboard 200', and also ranked high in the detailed charts such as 2nd on 'Top Album Sales', 2nd on 'Top Current Album Sales', and 2nd on 'World Albums'. In particular, it ranked 48th on the 'Top Streaming Albums' chart, making it the first K-pop artist album to enter the streaming chart this year.

Also, on the Canadian Billboard, “Who” debuted at No. 32 on the “Hot 100,” making it the highest-ranking K-pop song of the year, and took No. 2 on the “Digital Song Sales” chart, while “Muse” debuted at No. 24 on the “Album Chart.” It debuted at No. 6 and No. 19 on the German and Italian “Album Charts,” respectively, breaking “Face”’s previous records of No. 7 and No. 28.

In Brazil, the song debuted at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, setting a new record for a K-pop artist since the chart was reorganized in August 2023, and was the second song to enter the chart after Smeraldo Garden Marching Band at No. 84. In Argentina, the song also entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 71, and in the Philippines, Smeraldo Garden Marching Band entered the chart for the third week in a row at No. 74, along with Who, who reached the highest K-pop solo ranking of all time at No. 11.

In Japan, Jimin's activities did not stop either. Who rose to No. 53 after ranking No. 21 on the Hot 100, No. 20 on the Streaming Songs, and No. 6 on the Download Songs in its first week. ‘Muse’ ranked 6th on the ‘Hot Albums’ after its first week at 3rd place, and 8th on the ‘Top Albums’ after its 3rd debut, and ranked 2nd on the ‘Download Albums’ chart after its first week at 1st, and 15th on the ‘Artist 100’ chart.

#jimin news #Who by Jimin #MUSE by Jimin #jimin records #jimin #park jimin #bts jimin #bts #jiminie #pjm #bangtan #pjms

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neocatharsis · 8 months ago

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[INFO] 240508 SM Entertainment Concert LINE-UP Preview:

2024 DOYOUNG CONCERT [ Dear Youth, ]

🗓️ May 25th-26th, June 24th-26th, August 18th - September 21st

📍 Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia

NCT WISH : SCHOOL of WISH

🗓️ May 25th - June 22nd

📍 Korea

2024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3 : DREAM( )SCAPE>

🗓️ May 2nd - June 30th

📍 Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore

2024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3 : DREAM( )SCAPE>

🗓️ 3rd Quarter of 2024

📍 Philippines, Columbia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, US

#nct #nct 127 #nct dream #wayv #nct wish #nct u #doyoung

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21-roses-a-day · 1 year ago

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SABRINA CARPENTER during her show in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. 25th July, 2023, New Frontier Theater emails i can’t send tour: asian leg l SHOW 51 © (on twitter): justinnetime (1), dee_wheeinfart (3) & loafsie (4). + from Sabrina_CPH (2,5)

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inkcurlsandknives · 7 months ago

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Saints of Storm and Sorrow Queer Character Spotlight!

In Saints of Storm and Sorrow with my bi and sapphic nuns and several pivotal lines on their relationship were in homage to the works of

Leona Josefa Florentino (19 April 1849 – 4 October 1884) was a Filipina foundational poet, dramatist, satirist, and playwright who wrote and poetically spoke in Ilocano, her mother tongue, and Spanish, the lingua franca of her era. She is considered as the "mother of Philippine women's literature", serving as the "bridge from oral to literary tradition";and as a pioneer in Philippine lesbian literature.

I recommend you read NALPAY NA Namnama

https://helpinghandforstudents.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/nalpay-na-namnama-by-leona-florentino/

Pre-save the Audiobook today! https://open.spotify.com/show/0tgWiRNidOQtYJwoq1RWML?si=Brk4c2vXSQ2J9iWDhH6huw&nd=1&dlsi=ddb6dfe3381b402f

Head to gabriellabuba.com to find out more about other fun pride events coming up on the #SaintsOfStormAndSorrowPrideAdventCalendar to celebrate the Launch of my debut novel Saints of Storm and Sorrow coming out June 25th with @titanbooks

Preorder your copy today! Buy link: https://linktr.ee/gabriellabuba

In this an enthralling Filipino-inspired epic fantasy, a nun concealing a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization. For fans of R.F. Kuang, Tasha Suri, and The Hurricane War.

#saints of storm and sorrow #writeblr #filipino author #filipino fantasy #writing #asian fantasy #filipino poetry #Filipino history #leona Florentino #bisexual #lesbian #queer history #bridgerton

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maya-chirps · 1 year ago

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Simbang Gabi: The 9 Days Before Christmas

An image of a red parol from Peakpx.com

The Philippines is well-known for its extremely long Christmas celebration that a lot of foreigners often look at with confusion. Traditionally, Filipinos may start putting up their trees, playing festive songs, and counting down to the 25th as early as September in a season that's colloquially called the "ber months" or the "ber months season" (Petrelli, 2021). This period often lasts up until January or February where some houses may still keep their trees and decor pushing as far as March.

Even with this technicality, however, you'd be hard-pressed to find Filipinos truly celebrating from the very beginning of September genuinely ending it by the end of February. Most often, actual celebrations start after Undas, a period encompassing All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on the 1st and 2nd of November respectively to commemorate the dead, similar but a lot more subtle than other Catholic countries own Day of the Dead like in Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos and Italy's Giorno dei Morti. This time period is often the start of people doing more Christmas-y things such as Kris Kringle activities leading up to the main Christmas party.

The main markers of the true start in itself is the Advent season, which starts on the Sunday nearest to the 30th in Western Churches like Roman Catholicism and leads up to Christmas ("Advent", n.d.). This is where Catholics would go to Church every Sunday leading up to Christmas to light the Advent Wreath until the final candle on its center on Christmas day on the 25th. As the Philippines is heavily influenced by Roman Catholicism, Filipinos follow the Western start of Advent and most celebrations often fall in the middle of this time period. Even the middle of Advent, however, Filipinos have a waiting period to count down before Christmas - Simbang Gabi.

What is Simbang Gabi?

Simbang Gabi (en. night mass; going to mass at night) is a Philippine Christmas tradition wherein Roman Catholic Filipinos would attend mass nine days every single morning or night before the actual Christmas celebration. Traditionally, the masses were held every morning at 4:00 AM from the 16th to the 24th which would then be capped off by Christmas Eve Mass at night or Christmas Mass on the 25th with its early schedule earning it the name Misa de Gallo (en. mass of the rooster) (Lazaro, 2020). In most dioceses, however, they often have an anticipated mass schedule that start a night earlier than the morning masses (Hermoso, 2022).

Besides being called Misa de Gallo, I had also heard the celebration being called Misa de Aguinaldo (en. mass of gifts) in some places. This shares the same name as the similar Puerto Rican tradition Misa de Aguinaldo which is also a nine-day mass held in the morning, typically at 5:00 AM which is also deeply-rooted in Puerto Rican Christmas traditions (Álvarez, 2018).

History

A vintage greeting card posted by the Facebook group Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959 (2020)

Being a Christmas tradition, it is not surprising that Simbang Gabi could trace itself back to the Spanish colonial period.

A common misconception of its origins states that the practice first started in Mexico. Hermoso (2018) states that it started on the year 1587 by Friar Diego de Soria of the Convent of San Agustin Acolman when he requested the Vatican to allow church service to be held outdoors because of an overflow of attendees during the Christmas time. Pope Sixtus V later approved of this request and even decreed that these kinds of masses be held in the Philippines at the dawn of the 16th of December. What this doesn't account for was that the practice of going to church for the Eve of Christmas dates back to even earlier than the 16th century.

The cover for an English translation and compilation of Etheria's writings by M.L. McClure and C.L. Feltoe, D.D. (1919)

The first recorded instance of Christians celebrating Christmas by going to early mass leading up to the actual date was first written by Egeria (also called Egeriae, Etheria, or Aetheria), a Christian Galician woman who first recorded it during her travels to the Levant where she notes the early morning masses and festivities from the time of the Epiphany to the Nativity. She writes in her letters later called the Itinerarium Egeriae (en. The Travel Guide of Egeria; The Pilgrimage of Etheria).

"Octave of the Festival. On the second day also they proceed in like manner to the church in Golgotha, and also on the third day; thus the feast is celebrated with all this joyfulness for three days up to the sixth hour in the church built by Constantine (...) And in Bethlehem also throughout the entire eight days the feast is celebrated with similar festal array and joyfulness daily by the priests and by all the clergy there, and by the monks who are appointed in that place (...) and immense crowds, not of monks only, but also of the laity, both men and women, flock together to Jerusalem from every quarter for the solemn and joyous observance of that day." - Egeria, 381-384; The Pilgrimage of Etheria (trans. McClure & Feltoe, 1919):

The practice of attending early morning masses up until the main festivities of the Nativity was later adopted by more Western Christian communties during the time of Pope Sixtus III when he celebrated what is widely considered the first Midnight Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, not only stemming from the popularity of the Christians from Jerusalem but also the popular belief that Jesus was born at midnight (The Pillar, 2021).

The prayer spoken within the midnight vigil was then called the "mox ut gallus cantaverit" which translates to "when the rooster crows", aptly named because of the early hours the vigil tended to last which then coincided with the crowing of roosters ("Misa del Gallo: origen, historia y por qué se celebra en la madrugada del 25 de diciembre", 2022). The practice was continued by the Spanish with the name Misa de Gallo (also called Misa de Aguinaldo)which later spread throughout the Spanish Empire and could now be seen practiced in countries like Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and of course the Philippines.

There seem to be two variations of this: the nine-day series of masses before Christmas (found in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela) and the single early morning mass before Christmas day (found in Spain and Bolivia). It isn't clear if Spain and Bolivia simply dropped the nine-day tradition or if the nine-day tradition was restarted in these other colonies, however.

In the Present Day

An image of crowds outside a church during Simbang Gabi uploaded to Wikimedia by Erwin Malicdem

Today, the Simbang Gabi continues to be a popular tradtion for most Filipino Roman Catholics, even those who aren't typically as religious most parts of the year. This is given the fact that a popular belief is that when a person completes all of the nine days, they may receive a wish to whatever they desire. This is such a common belief that Bishop Broderick Pabillo, a Manila auxiliary bishop, had to remind people that the point of the tradition is to remember Jesus and his nativity (Punay, 2016). Besides this, it is also a common challenge among Filipinos to try to complete it as is or see how many days out of the nine could they actually attend.

It is not uncommon for churches these days to hold an "anticipated" mass the night before the actual date starting instead on the 15th and ending on the 24th with a Christmas mass, instead of starting on the 16th and ending on the 25th. This newer tradition had come from the reign of Filipino dictator President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during the Martial Law years in the 70s, when Filipinos were not allowed to go out after a curfew until 4 in the morning (Macairan, 2023). This allowed more people and especially those who may not be able to start their day early or those who may have other obligations in the morning to attend masses at night time, typically at around 6 PM - 8 PM.

The only large controversy that I could remember about Simbang Gabi was back in 2011 when the event was banned from being conducted within the Philippine Center in New York City. The ban came about because of it supposedly violated Canon Law which prohibits religious worship in unconsecrated ground or in other words places that aren't seen as places of worship. In an article by Adarlo & Pastor (2014), Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Marabe, the at-the-time head of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz and a priest-in-residence at St. Patrick's Cathedral where the ban took place, explains in an interview with news site The FilAm:

"It’s not allowed by law to have Holy Mass in an unconsecrated place. Worship should take place in a sacred place. That was an explanation but not a decision. The Archdiocese decides." - Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Marabe, head of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Chinatown, New York (2011)

The ban was later lifted on 2014 after community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis wrote a letter to the diocese to reconsider the ban which led to the return of the almost 30-year-old tradition that year (Balitang America, ABS-CBN North America Bureau, 2014).

Besides being a huge part of current traditions, a lot of Filipinos, and especially Filipino youth, use the event as an excuse to go out during the night to hang out with friends and even go on dates with their partners. It is not an uncommon sight to see a group of teenagers, often wearing maybe less than typical church clothes, by the edge of the Church seemingly attending mass. Whether or not they're actually being attentive is hard to decipher. Either way, this has led to an explosion of memes almost every year just mocking these kinds of people or making fun of their own.

A screenshot of the "Simbang gabi starter pack" posted by user rhapido on 9Gag.com (2022)

Earlier versions of this meme could be seen posted throughout Filipino social media during the early 2010s

A meme posted by the Facebook page FEU Memes (2012)

The barkada (en. friend group) going to Simbang Gabi had been an older tradition that has found a lot more popularity in the contemporary era because of social media. My mother had told me that she used to use it as an excuse herself back in the 80s to hang out with her friends at night time. This may be a continued past time for especially younger people for years to come.

There's also many street foods associated with Simbang Gabi that may not be unique to the event itself but are nevertheless heavily associated with the event due to their widespread sale during this time period. Foods like bibingka, puto bumbong, kutsinta, and other popular rice cakes dominate the scene which definitely satisfy the hungry parishioners who had, most likely, not eaten breakfast or dinner before going to church. With their strong associations with Simbang Gabii and Filipino Christmas as a whole, I might discuss these on a later date.

Simbang Gabi, from my experience

Growing up and living in the Philippines and especially being raised Catholic within a Catholic town named after a Catholic saint and going to a Catholic school named after another Catholic saint, it probably won't shock you that I, myself, had tried to complete the nine days of Simbang Gabi myself. I had attempted it several times with only maybe trying seriously by myself once in my life. It was quite the experience to just try to dedicate yourself into completing a goal to do something for nine consecutive days straight.

My first attempt was when I was in Junior High and it was with my sister and two people who worked for my parents and had helped watch over us. It was something that I always wanted to try doing and especially since I was gaining a lot more independence at the time so what better to try it out without the rest of the family? With adult supervision, of course.

Since we lived quite away from the actual church, the place was already packed even an hour before the actual mass started. There was barely any seats left and even less standing room leading to a huge overflow of people stuck outdoors, only hearing mass from the outdated speaker system that they had erected in place of the old bell tower.

The mass in our church was often done in the dark during the night out of an deliberate and probably aesthetic choice with only the alter being illuminated by the lights. The rest was lit up by the scattered about Christmas decor throughout the church and the church patio. It always felt like going to some liminal space that other nights at church just doesn't give.

Once the mass has been concluded, people rush out of the doors in thick crowds to find their way into the footpaths leading on to the main town streets. Some opt to stay behind to enjoy the food stalls that had pop-up for the night to eat bibingka, puto, sapin-sapin, and palitaw among other things. Some of the teens had decided to raid the nearby small park and playground as a hang-out spot to talk the night away before they rush home for their curfews. Meanwhile others were just rushing to get home as soon as they can, with people lining up to go to the rudimentary parking space that the church created while the others who didn't own their own vehicles forced to compete for the very few commuter vehicles still riding through the night, hunting for passengers.

This was before we had our own car, so we were with the latter crowds of people, trying to peer through the dark streets only illuminated by the scant Christmas lights that still refused to turn off as the night progressed. Every so often, two headlights excite the crowd and a swarm of them start running in anticipation with not care or tact if they would crush children or separate families all to take a seat on the night jeepneys, some the few commutes left after 9.

My sister was an expert in finding her way through it, reaching out to the doors to form a barricade for herself and the rest of us to prevent others from taking our seats before letting herself in. I still think I would've been left behind if it weren't for her doing that out of sheer competitiveness with the crowds.

We settled into our seats and squeezed in tightly to allow other passengers in so we could all go home as soon as we can. It was a tight but otherwise uneventful commute every night with nothing but tired people waiting for their stops and slowly emptying the once packed vehicle. Since we live in the outskirts of the town, we were often the last few and at times, the drivers would transfer us to other jeeps just so they can go home themselves. This had sometimes instead left us to walk the remainder of the way there through unpaved highway sidewalks.

After a few nights of it, I became more and more reluctant to continue because of the frenzy that it had almost every single night and it was extremely inconvenient for my time and the time of those with me. I didn't complete it then and I hadn't seriously tried until 9th Grade, which honestly was more uneventful.

That attempt was mostly my siblings and I staying in Makati City and Taguig City and going to easily traveled to churches that we could walk to by foot, and high-end malls that have annual Simbang Gabi masses for their shoppers, facilitated by the local diocese and the local fancy church. I was able to complete those easily because I was often dragged either by my siblings or my grandmother who used to never miss a day of church when she was still more active.

It was less about the challenge at that point and more of an obligation which isn't a bad thing and honestly is probably closer to how it should be celebrated.

I hadn't gone to Simbang Gabi since 2019 and I don't have any plans to try this year either. Not really because I don't want to necessarily, but specifically because I physically can't. I still think its pretty fun to do and honestly maybe a good excuse to meet with my friends that I haven't seen in a while. Sadly, I just simply cannot do it now nor in the near future.

Maybe one day I could once again go out at those cold December night to meet my friends and maybe eat some bibingka on my way home but I guess I'll just leave every one else to it.

Sources

Introduction

Advent. (n.d.). In Britannica. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Advent

In The Philippines Christmas Eve Includes A Late Night Street Food Feast, Filipino Christmas, HD wallpaper [image]. (n.d.). Peakpx. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-wxdle

Petrelli, M. (2021, December 20). The country that celebrates Christmas for more than 4 months a year. CNBC. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/21/philippines-the-longest-christmas-celebrations-in-the-world-.html

What is Simbang Gabi?

Álvarez, F. (2018, November 22). Una tradición matutina la Misa de Aguinaldo. Primera Hora. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/una-tradicion-matutina-la-misa-de-aguinaldo/

Hermoso, C. (2022, December 15). 9-day ‘Simbang Gabi’ begins on Dec. 16; anticipated masses to begin tonight. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/15/9-day-simbang-gabi-begins-on-dec-16-anticipated-masses-to-begin-tonight/

Lazaro, J. (2020, December 11). The Christmas tradition of Simbang Gabi: After five centuries, this Filipino Christmas tradition lives on. U.S. Catholic. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://uscatholic.org/articles/202012/the-christmas-tradition-of-simbang-gabi/

History

Hermoso, C. (2018, December 15). ‘Simbang Gabi’ a manifestation of the Filipinos’ strong faith in God, says bishop. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://mb.com.ph/2018/12/15/simbang-gabi-a-manifestation-of-the-filipinos-strong-faith-in-god-says-bishop/

Etheria (1919). The Pilgrimage of Etheria (McClure, M., & Feltoe, C. Ed. & Trans.). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.ccel.org/m/mcclure/etheria/etheria.htm (Original work published 384 C.E.)

McClure, M., & Feltoe, C. (1919). [An image of the book cover of "The Pilgrimage of Etheria"]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.ccel.org/m/mcclure/etheria/etheria.htm

The Pillar. (2021, December 21). What time is Midnight Mass?. The Pillar. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-time-is-midnight-mass

Misa del Gallo: origen, historia y por qué se celebra en la madrugada del 25 de diciembre. (2022, December 24). Marca. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.marca.com/tiramillas/actualidad/2022/12/24/63a6c106268e3e7c468b45e8.html

Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959. (2020, December 25). A Vintage Greeting Card showing Philippine Christmas… Maligayang Pasko from Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959 [image]. Facebook. Retrieved 15 December 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/510513375695362/photos/a.1701322009947820/3595821097164559/?type=3

In the Present Day

Adarlo, S., & Pastor, C. (2014, November 3). Fr. Joseph Marabe breaks silence over Simbang Gabi ban (Part 2). The FilAm: A Magazine for Filipino Americans in New York. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://thefilam.net/archives/16127

Balitang America, ABS-CBN North America Bureau. (2014, September 19). Simbang Gabi returns to NYC after a brief ban. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/09/19/14/simbang-gabi-returns-nyc-after-brief-ban

FEU Memes. (2012, December 15). eto yung mga madalas ko makita sa gilid ng simbahan e [image]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://www.facebook.com/PIYUMEMES/photos/a.210778985704527/317211885061236/?type=3

Macaira, E. (2023, December 15). Simbang Gabi: It’s the mass, not the time. Philippine Star. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/12/15/2318980/simbang-gabi-its-mass-not-time

Malicdem, E. (n.d.) The Bamboo Organ Church or the St. Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas City in the Philippines during "Simbang Gabi" or Night Mass on Christmas eve. Photo was part of Schadow1 Expeditions coverage of Las Piñas during Christmas season. [image]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simbang_Gabi#/media/File:Las_Pinas_Church_during_Simbang_Gabi.jpg

Punay, E. (2016, December 19). ‘Simbang Gabi’ won’t grant wishes – Bishop. Philippine Star Global. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/12/19/1654920/simbang-gabi-wont-grant-wishes-bishop

rhapido. (2022, November 30). Simbang gabi starter pack [Screenshot]. 9Gag. Retrieved 15 December 2023, from https://9gag.com/gag/a5Xnzgr

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ilaw-at-panitik · 9 months ago

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The Philippine Book Festival is back! It will be on April 25th-28th at World Trade Centre, Pasay City. Register here for free, but walk-ins are welcome too!

Follow the National Book Development Board Instagram page for more information. Images from NBDB Instagram page.

#lit news #philippine literature #philippine book festival 2024

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gunsatthaphan · 1 year ago

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~ Monthly BL Breakdown: December 2023 ~

🎆 Happy 2024!!! 🍾

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 You're My Star (Christmas Special) - December 4th (Philippines)

🌟 Bagan Beginning - December 5th (Myanmar)

🌟 Chains of Heart: The Movie - December 7th (Thailand)

🌟 Cherry Magic Thailand - December 9th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 It's Complicated - December 14th (Thailand)

🌟 Dear Kitakyushu - December 14th (Thailand)

🌟 Colorful Melody - December 16th (Thailand)

🌟 Night Dream - December 16th (Thailand)

🌟 DMD Friendship (reality show) - December 17th (Thailand)

🌟 Scent of Memory (I Feel You Linger in the Air Special Episode) - December 17th (Thailand)

🌟 Dead Friend Forever - December 23rd (Thailand)

🌟 I Became the Lead in a BL Drama - December 24th (Japan)

🌟 Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man - December 25th (Thailand)

🌟 Love on Lo - December 26th (Thailand)

🌟 You and My Stars - December 30th (Thailand)

Monthly likes/dislikes

❣️ Cherry Magic - It's cute so far, this is the first adaption where I've actually seen the original and I'm pleasantly surprised. The plot is familiar but they're adding things to it which is nice. It's extended and more explorative compared to the OG but in an endearing way. TayNew do the roles justice, I couldn't imagine a better fit tbh. And even Mark and Junior make the side couple likable who I really did not like in the original lol. Thumbs up so far 🫶🏻

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Knock Out (produced by Dee Hup) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 First Time Love - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Perfect Propose - Coming February 2024 (Japan)

🎥 The Fridge - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Caged Again - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Likay The Series/Let Me Into Your Heart (novel adaption) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Only One - Date TBA (Taiwan)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ GMMTV's upcoming BL We Are has started filming. The show will be directed by New Siwaj and stars PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawin and more. It is thus the first production from the 2024 lineup to go into production. Aside from that, many other upcoming BLs have started filming including The Trainee, Only Boo and Wandee Goodday.

❗️This year's Y Universe Awards were held on December 11th. The following BL actors & productions won:

Cutie Pie 2 You - Best Series

Moonlight Chicken - Best Series Script

Aof N. - Best Director (MLC)

Gemini N. - Best Supporting Actor (MLC)

Khaotung T. - Best Supporting Actor (MLC)

Fourth N. - Best Leading Actor (MSP)

ZeeNunew - Best Couple

I Feel You Linger in the Air - Best Series Soundtrack, Best Production

Laws of Attraction - Best Social Reflection

❗️The Japanese BL The Man Who Defies The World of BL is getting a third season to air in 2024. Further details are unknown.

❗️After further copyright issues, the Thai remake of the Japanese BL Cherry Magic had to be removed from youtube and will no longer be aired on the site. The show will continue to only be available nationally on VIU. Viewers with a VPN can still access the site, other streaming options are KissKH, Dramacool and KissAsian.

❗️The streaming platform WeTV announced a new original BL titled Caged Again which tells the love story between a penguin and a panther. Both animals transform into humans while travelling between universes and fall in love. The show is set to air in 2024, the cast is unknown.

❗️The Thai BL production company Domundi announced their upcoming project The Next Prince to release its pilot trailer in the first quarter of 2024. The show stars ZeeNunew and others and has a historical theme. Filming will likely begin later this year.

Upcoming series & movies for January

👉🏻 BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank In Hen - January 2nd (Japan)

👉🏻 Ossan's Love Returns - January 5th (Japan)

👉🏻 Refund Love - January 7th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Time The Series - January 9th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Intern in My Heart (BL side couple) - January 10th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka - January 11th (Japan)

👉🏻 I Wish You Love - January 21st (Thailand)

👉🏻 Beside You (mini series) - January TBA (Thailand)

👉🏻 Love for Love's Sake - January TBA (South Korea)

#doreens monthly bl breakdown #thai bl #bl drama #upcoming bl #update #bl news #that caged again series is getting so much backlash already and im laughing lmao like why did they think this was a good idea??#but anyway #happy 2024!!!!!#shall I continue with my breakdowns?#it's a good way to stay up to date lol #but idk let me know #what a year it has been #oof #heres to a better 2024

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