Under the Mangrove Christmas Tree

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As young children growing up in Malabon, Rizal (now a city in Manila)

, the coming of Christmas had always been an exciting period for us in the clan. Just as when the months that ends in "ber" started, we always got ourselves busy for days looking in swamps for mangrove branches with twigs intact, to prune and remove its leaves to make our holiday tree. It was like an instinct that we never harmed the trees or the fish swimming around their roots. Too bad that today's youth cannot imagine an organic Christmas treefrom mangrove branches as opposed to the store-bought plastic ones.

The Mangrove (Bakawan)

Mangroves or Bakawan are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics. There are several types, all sharing similar structure, and biology. With glossy topped leaves, all possess either aerial roots or "pneumatophores," special breathing roots that help aerate the root system in swampy ground. Coastal zones are where you find mangrove swamps, mudflats, sandy beaches, and estuaries. Estuaries or rivers draining to the sea are especially important. The freshwater streams mixing with salt water fosters the growth of phytoplankton, the first link in the ocean's food chain. The sandy beaches act as filter to water coming from the uplands. Mangroves prevent strong tides from eroding the shores. They also act as source of detritus or dead leaves that are eaten by crustaceans and fish.

Making the Christmas Tree
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After acquiring the chosen branch with its twigs, we would wrap it with materials based on our chosen design. The most popular designs were one wrapped with aluminum foil and the other with cotton using Elmer's glue. Japanese paper (papel de Japon) of red, green, and yellow were cut in strips to use as tassels. November came; we would be hanging our old tiny plastic toys and scavenging for scrapped cigarette foils from Grandma's convenience store to collect enough glitter materials for our humble mangroveChristmastree. The more gnarly thetree, the more handsome it would be. After trimming our tree, it was time for our old folks (usually it was Uncle Edgar, mom's brother) to install some Christmas lights to truly complete it and enjoy the warming ambiance it gave our young joyous hearts. Then we were geared to putting as many gifts under it to complete its holiday look.

We did not care how our elders planned the Christmas menu, which mostly composed of Filipino-Spanish and Chinese fare like morisqueta, morcon, embotido, fish relleno, pancit Malabon, sopas Molo, Chinese Ham, queso de bola, various traditional desserts and more. Grandma and all the women in my family spent days of thorough planning and long hours of preparing the above mentioned feast to assure that we celebrated the holy day right; yet, we children hardly ate them except the sweets. No excitement either over the festive clothes our parents would buy or make us to wear on Christmas Eve mass. It was all about dressing our Mangrove Christmas tree.

The Christmas Buzz

For about two weeks before Christmas day, each of our waking hours (except when we were in school) would be spent making our own gifts for every family member, young and old. They could range from hand-sewn purses decorated with discarded buttons to key chains from nuts and washers from our jeepney repair garage. Those among us who are short of craftsmanship settled with secretly checking and buying what each family member needed. They could be a replacement for old combs, hankies, abaca slippers, Bic ball pens, etc. None of them cost a fortune but never failed to delight their receivers on Christmas day.

One funny thing I remember when I was a kid is receiving a gift other than Chocnut (the cheapest chocolate candy there was). A Van Houten Chocobar! It was from my baptismal godmother. That was sheer luxury. You couldn't blame me for being overly excited about that for we were raised to live quite modestly, our Christmas moments were easily satisfied with apples, and chocolates, which today's children could acquire anytime they please except by the poor ones. One may say the poor children are sometimes lucky. They derive "great happiness" when presented with these simple treatsa feeling that seems to be elusive to the affluent lot.

As the 25th of December approached, we counted not days but "sleeps." We anticipated this magical moment that happened in the church each yearthe child Jesus being born. And that Child grew up and died to redeem our sins.

When you are a frugally raised kid, you will not forget that you receive gifts not to compare with what others got but because you are loved. There is gift giving because believers commemorate the birth of Jesus, whose greatest gift to humankind was His life because of His love for them. I have never been able to express this in words until now.

Sad

It makes me "sad" that this tradition is no longer practiced by the young people in my town and I feel quite nostalgic just remembering the exciting Christmases past.

Even "sadder" is it is unfortunate that my own sons cannot imagine what I was talking about and furthermore, they most likely would wonder why there is so much ado over something readily available almost everywhere. I think my advancing age has made me lazy to explain abstract concepts to other people. Ah, with too many fond memories, I wish there were more people around who can still relate to this.

But, the "saddest" thing really is there are almost no more mangrove trees left in Malabon (or in many other parts of the country) to make a Christmas tree out of. Let me put it this way, my conscience will bother me if I try to disturb what little mangrove trees I could find these days, if there are any left in my town.

In 2009, President Gloria Arroyo launched the nationwide watershed and mangrove tree-planting project during her visit to Zamboanga del Norte as she promoted the need to plant more trees to fight climate change. DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) said that the loss of the mangrove trees can accelerate global warming, which causes the rising of sea levels and flooding, which will make places along our coasts, like Paranaque and Malabon, unlivable. In conclusion, think globally but act locally. I wonder what happened to that campaign.

Searching the Christmas Spirit

Christmasis a Christian tradition whether you are rich or poor. You will be blessed by the joy the season brings if you feel its real meaning. Would it not be "just" to instill in our hearts the true spirit of this season and not the material things we "must have?" Every year, wouldn't it be nice if those of us who have most needs met and more think about those less fortunate who struggle to make ends meet. One of the greatest gifts we can give (ourselves) is when we help someone else, not because we feel we ought to, but for no other reason than "because we want to."

Glimpses of my childhood yuletide under the Mangrove Christmas tree can no longer be captured in photographs and the ones we had were lost during a deep flood in Malabon. With that, happy Christmas days of childhood will be just fond memories for all of us, children in the clan, now mostly with graying hair. Hopefully, with the recollection of that old but meaningful tradition, we can pass on the true celebration of this day sans vanity and egotism, because all those good practices died long before their merits had been appreciated.

Today, plasticChristmastrees are readily availablein Divisoria or nearby malls. In thirty minutes, you can erect aChristmastreewithout any help; another couple of hours, accent it with garlands and dangles. Voila! An instant Christmas tree, a bit devoid of character that a "do it yourself" organic one can possess.

Yes, we reminisce and sigh, our mangroveChristmastreeis now but a memory, but its spirit lives on to those once my fellow children and the life lessons it represented linger in our character. I am sure each one of us will smile and probably break into laughter at the fuss we made in its making.

At my present age, I view things in life in pretty much the same manner as I did as a kid. Call me outdated but I enjoy my life in a time warp. With the current commercialized Christmas approaching, thespirit is there but you may no longer be a part of it, but just a part of the shopping crowd. What happens if one sets aside envy, materialism, and "self-pity of being without those?" After all, Christmasis supposed to be Jesus' birthdaynot ours.
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Meanwhile, I will close my eyes lie under my synthetic imitation and imagine I am lying under the Mangrove Christmas tree of my youth.

Peace and Love to everyone!

Under the Mangrove Christmas Tree

By: Susan Villaroman

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