Growing up, a paról was both a familiar and expected sight during the holidays— hanging by windows, attached to street lamps, all around malls and other public spaces, in the zeitgeist of every Filipino. They can be as simple as ones crafted from bamboo and colorful Japanese paper, or as elaborate as those made from capiz shells and even LED lights. Aileen’s poetry paints a joyous, nostalgic, and colorful picture of Noche Buena — a Christmas Eve celebration shared amongst Spanish colonized countries. The ubiquitous Philippine star lantern forges a link between past and present. It symbolizes the transfer of tradition from one place to another, bringing along with it other holiday traditions like bibingka (a traditional baked rice cake) and queso de bola (a ball of red Edam cheese) — because is it even a Filipino gathering without tons of food?

In the middle of this new carol, as we “sing our favorite Christmas songs,” I took the opportunity to quote one of my favorite ones while growing up — Payapang Daigdig (Peaceful World) by Felipe De Leon — our version of Silent Night. I specifically included the phrase sa bughaw na langit (in blue sky) because it is an image that is shared amongst cultures no matter where you are.

At its heart, Meet Me for Noche Buena is really about journeys and relationships; people bringing and sharing their various holiday traditions in new places — whether you’re an American in Japan, an Italian in Argentina, or, like Aileen and myself, Filipino immigrants who have found a home in California.

Meet Me for Noche Buena is commissioned by Pacific Chorale and artistic director Robert Istad. It received its premiere in Carols byCandlelight on December 2022.