The Philippine Consulate General New York, the Philippine Center Management invite the community to join us in welcoming the holidays with faith, hope and love in true Filipino fashion and tradition by celebrating the beauty of the Philippine Parol, the iconic symbol of a Filipino Christmas.
Representing the Star of Bethlehem, the parol is hung to welcome visitors into every home, and Jesus into every heart. We invite everyone to support our Stars of Hope on Fifth, a new project conceptualized with the help of New York-based Filipino designer Brian Tenorio, as a way to bring the community together in a beautiful and meaningful way.
To add to the ten (10) capiz-shell parols owned by the Philippine Center, we ask generous members of the community to lend us their spare capiz-shell parols, so that we can jointly create a festoon of colorful lanterns. We hope to collect at least twenty-five (25) capiz-shell parols for the Stars of Hope on Fifth project, which will serve as a symbolic reminder that despite the challenges that faced the Filipino people throughout the trying months of 2009, we continue to persevere, to celebrate the season with hope, and to look with optimism to the promise of the New Year in 2010.
The Stars of Hope on Fifth will be launched at 5pm on December 5 during a parol-lighting ceremony at the Philippine Center (right before the Simbang Gabi sa Katedral at St. Patrick’s). The display will be lit every evening from the 5th of December until the 8th of January, making the Philippine Center another must-see attraction for the holiday season along famed Fifth Avenue.
Please contact Ms. Zeny Avila at 212-575-4774 to schedule receipt of the parols being lent during office hours until Dec. 4. While all parols are beautiful, only those made of capiz shells, in good working order and running on 110-voltage will be welcomed for this year. All parols will be inspected, photographed and documented prior to acceptance by the Philippine Center. A tag bearing the family name or the organization lending us their parols will be hung on the lantern, visibly acknowledging their generosity. Parols will be available for pick-up by the lenders on or after January 9, 2010.
We hope that the community supports us in this, the first Stars of Hope on Fifth, as we welcome the holiday season!
( Published December 4, 2009 in LifeEASTyle p.2 )
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