ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS FOOD

The holidays in the Philippines are a sensory overload—bright lights, loud karaoke, nightmarish traffic, and the unmistakable aroma of holiday feasts.

- RICARDO T. PAMINTUAN

But beneath the glitz and glamour lies a deeper story of tradition, community, and an uncanny ability to turn every meal into a metaphor for life.

If there's one thing Filipinos are experts at, it's turning the most ordinary day into a food festival. During Christmas and New Year, between Noche Buena and Media Noche, our holiday tables groan under the weight of symbolic hams, pasta debates, and a dessert selection that could rival any buffet. This is no season for moderation but a tale of colonial tradition, evolution, and why some fruitcakes may outlive us all.

Visit any mall or supermarket, or even food places, and you'll be bombarded with visual, auditory, and olfactory cues reminding you that Christmas is just a few winks away.

Welcome to the Philippines, where the holiday eves aren't just dates to remember but culinary marathons, cultural commentaries, and family reunions, all rolled into one and served with a side of chicken macaroni salad (with or without raisins, depending on your bias)!

In this food Olympics, every household competes in the categories of nostalgia, indulgence, and who-has-the-fanciest-ham.

Depending on one's budget and patience for queuing, ham—whether bone-in, sliced, or scraps—is usually the main event for the holidays. Not even a whole lechon propped on the table with an apple in its mouth could dethrone the venerable jamon as the meat of choice for most Filipino families.

From the more affordable, cured, pineapple-glazed hams of Purefoods, Swift's or CDO, to the classic Chinese ham of Excelente or Adelina's, to "alta" offerings like Jamon de Iberico from Txanton, Terry's Selection, or Santi's Delicatessen, the need for ham is as overwhelming as the desire to capture that Instagram moment of carving.