In the realm of festive feasts, few dishes hold the iconic status that Christmas ham does. As families gather around the table to celebrate the holiday season, the succulent aroma of ham often takes center stage. But how did this delectable tradition begin, earning its place as a Christmas culinary staple?

The roots of Christmas ham trace back centuries, with its origins deeply intertwined with cultural practices and seasonal festivities. One prevailing theory suggests that the tradition of serving ham during Christmas can be linked to ancient pagan celebrations. In many cultures, pigs were slaughtered during the winter months, and the meat was cured and preserved to ensure a stable food supply throughout the colder season.

As Christianity spread across Europe, the practice of feasting on ham during the winter months continued, blending seamlessly with the Christmas festivities. The timing of these winter pig slaughters coincided with the Christmas season, giving rise to the association between ham and the holiday. The salt-curing process not only preserved the meat but also imparted a distinctive flavor that became synonymous with Christmas indulgence.

The specific term "Christmas ham" began to gain popularity as the dish became a focal point of holiday celebrations. In medieval England, for example, the tradition of serving a boar's head as a centerpiece during Christmas feasts was well-established. Over time, this evolved into the more familiar ham we know today, as the boar's head was gradually replaced by the easier-to-obtain and equally delicious ham.

Fast forward to the New World, and Christmas ham continued to evolve. In the United States, the Southern tradition of serving ham during the holidays became deeply ingrained, with many families adopting the practice during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The influence of Southern cuisine on Christmas ham spread throughout the country, solidifying its place as a beloved holiday dish.

The Western civilization may have influenced us, Filipinos, with the Christmas celebrations, but one thing is for sure, this celebration is uniquely Filipino in so many ways. 

Just recently, one of the oldest and historical hotel in the Philippines, Th Manila Hotel, welcomed the holiday season with a lively celebration infused with Filipino traditions during its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The centerpiece of the celebration was the magnificent Christmas Tree, carefully decorated with luxurious golden Ilang-Ilang blooms, a tribute to the official flower of the Grand Dame. The color scheme included a pleasing mix of gold, earthy tones, and lively red, resulting in a visually striking presentation that captured the spirit of the season. Mr. Rachy Cuna, Creative & Design Director at The Manila Hotel, conceived and brought to life the idea for this holiday décor.

Bigger and better Christmas is LGs main goal for the holidays and part of that is by bringing in various initiative like the brand's mission of always giving back to the community. LG and Netflix came up with an event that was launched just recently in One Canvas Events Place in Pasong Tamo, Makati. LG Philippines outlined their various initiatives for the holiday season.

The event started off with LGEPH Product Marketing Manager Angelica Dumlao discussing the Evolution of Picture Quality and how LG has taken great strides in pushing for technological innovation. “We can see the advancement and the evolutionary journey of how TV resolution and picture quality have improved in the last 20 years. The evolution from analog to digital television technology was a slow process, and it wasn’t even until the mid-1990s that HDTV broadcasting began. At that time, most HDTVs were plasma TVs, which were expensive, so HDTV adoption was slow. By the mid-2000s however, affordable 40-inch LCDs started to be sold. By the end of the decade, LCDs were outselling traditional (CRT) TVs as well as plasma TVs. Post HDTVs, companies started looking for newer technologies that could be offered to consumers. The last few years saw the arrival of curved screens, high dynamic range (HDR), smart TVs, OLED TVs, and 4K. Now with the hyper realistic detail and picture quality of 8K available to consumers.” She goes on to add “For us in LG, Life’s about more than having the latest technology. It’s about the experiences technology creates. We are a pacesetter in the industry and we will continue to deliver consumer electronics that let you embrace life and prepare you for its greatest moments.”

Pushing forward with the holiday theme, the first gift that LG has for the community comes in the form of its partnership with Netflix. During the event, Netflix unveiled the streaming service’s holiday film headliner, Klaus. The trailer for the destined Christmas classic, together with its behind the scenes footage, were all screened with the use of LG’s award-winning OLED TVs, the purchase of which comes with an accompanying gift of 6 months of Netflix.

Klaus, the headliner for Netflix’s holiday lineup, is an entirely 2D animated movie, a Netflix first, that harkens to the old Christmas shows we’ve come to know and love. Legendary actor J. K. Simmons provides the voice for the titular Klaus, a reclusive carpenter whom Jesper discovers living alone in a cabin, where he makes his own handmade toys. Like the movies of yore, Netflix hopes that Klaus becomes a Christmas tradition that’s destined to be replayed every holiday season for the years to come. LG also invited the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) to share their thoughts on the use of 2D animation in Klaus, how LG OLED TVs are the best platform to view it on, as well as to discuss the state of the local animation industry as a whole.

As an early Christmas present for the organization, LG Philippines donated LG TV. Inkwun Heo, LG Philippines’ Managing Director, recognized the importance of the ACPI’s role in the local industry and how their influence shapes the evolution of picture quality. “With LG, we guarantee an unparalleled, memorable cinematic viewing experience. Through non-stop innovation, LG has been able to offer the best that technology has to offer, be it through our NanoCell or OLED TVs, or with the use of our ThinQ Artificial Intelligence. We want content creators such as ACP to have access to this technology so that they can pay it forward and share it with the community through their art.
Marlyn Montano, Vice President of the ACPI, graciously accepted the TV donation from LG. “Working in the animation industry, innovations in technology are important to us. To be able to compete with other animators from around the world, we need to be at the top. LG’s AI-optimized picture quality that boasts leading clarity, sharpness, detail and brightness is as advanced as you can get. This really helps us in harnessing the best of our abilities.”

Another gift that LG has for the community during the holidays is the #ShareTheGoodLifewithLG campaign. As a way of giving back to the community, LG Philippines has dedicated a portion of each sale of an LG product to go towards furnishing the children of Shelter of Hope. More than that, LG has committed to donate home entertainment and home appliances worth more than Php 1Million. Shelter of Hope is currently building a new home for their resident children who are cancer patients and these gifts will provide much needed Christmas cheer. During the event, LG, Netflix, and the members of the media, in the spirit of Klaus, also brought gifts and toys to give to the children of Shelter of Hope. Just like what Klaus says, “A true selfless act, always sparks another.”

Towards the end of the event, long-time LG brand ambassador James Deakin enumerated the eight reasons why one should buy the award-winning OLED TVs, either as a holiday gift or even for oneself. Firstly, it’s the World's Best Selling OLED TV Brand for 6 consecutive years. Global sales and shipments prove that LG is, once again, the world’s best-selling brand for OLED TVs. Second, LG’s ThinQ technology represents the evolution of TVs. AI-optimized picture quality that boasts leading clarity, sharpness, detail and brightness is delivered to viewers via comprehensive content and ambient light analysis. Third, AI Picture, AI Sound, and AI Smart uses he most powerful 4K processor to optimize clarity, sharpness, sound. The 2nd generation α7 Intelligent Processor recognizes the quality of the original content and optimizes the clarity and sharpness. The light sensor detects ambient light and the AI automatically optimizes brightness in the image to keep a bright and sharp picture regardless of illuminance. With AI Sound, Get the best sound no matter how you have arranged your room and where you are sitting. With the technology recognizing your watching spot, you can fully enjoy the optimized sound. Fourth, It has an IPS Panel for wide viewing angle - Wherever you sit, the IPS 4K panel’s wide viewing angle keeps you enthralled with spectacular realism—displaying almost 100% color accuracy, even from a 60-degree angle. Fifth, it has Dolby Atmos, providing 360-degree surround sound. Sixth, it has a 2-year warranty which safeguards your investment. Seventh, the Magic Remote makes for easy and convenient TV navigation. Lastly, it also has an Emergency Warning Broadcast System for nationwide alerts.

Want to have a Bigger & Better Christmas with LG? Aside from aforementioned proceeds going the Shelter of Hope, OLED and NanoCell TV purchases from today until December 15th come with a raffle ticket. Join the raffle and get a chance to win 1 of 10 LG TVS or Soundbars. And for the Grand Prize, you’ll have a chance to take home 65” OLED TV. The raffle draw will be on December 16. So, watch out and follow our social media accounts @lgphilippines for updates and announcements of winners.

When you say gift everyone expects of a wrapped box or anything that is covered to conceal what's inside. To make it more of a surprise. I just didn't realize that gifts can be in any size, one of which that is overwhelming is the Gift of Wonders in Tiendesitas. I'm amazed at how they create a big wonder like that. Anyway, it's just amazing to go around the mall and see more than a life-size gift where you can get inside and see some interesting features.

Tiendesitas starts the Christmas season right with festive activities and surprises for everyone. Beginning November 4, 2019 until January 5, 2020, friends and families can visit the Gift of Wonders, a bigger-than-life installation that will awaken your Christmas and gift-giving spirit, located at the Food and Pet Village.

Reminiscent of borderless worlds, enchanting interactive visuals and marvelous discoveries, the Gift of Wonders highlights everything there is to love about Christmas and this planet we call home. The House of Stars is an immersive installation with vibrant colors and dancing lights that encapsulate the light and warmth of a Filipino Christmas. While the Pets Unleashed is an animated installation that highlights the grandeur of the planet through the eyes of various animals inhabiting this shared home, reminding us this Christmas season to stop and appreciate the world we live in and to enjoy life with our families and pets by our side.

Check off all the items remaining in your Christmas list or even splurge on great finds for yourself as you shop to your heart’s content from November 13 to 17 in Tiendegram, located on Level 1 of Building B. There will also be a Christmas Bazaar all weekends of November and December 2019.

As Tiendesitas continues to showcase the best that the Philippines has to offer and provide guests with a strong connection to our culture, there will be a Parol Making Contest from November 22 to 23 from 3 p.m to 6 p.m at the 1st level of the Food Village. Participants will then showcase their handmade parols and parade them on November 24, 2019.

Pilipinas Got Talent finalist, Bughaw Folkloric Dance Group, will entertain shoppers and guests with inspiring Filipino folk dances from all Sundays of November to December from 6 p.m to 7 p.m at the 2nd level of the Food Village while on November 11, everyone has the chance to bring out their inner child with a chance to play iconic Filipino games like patintero, piko and sungka in Larong Pambata, Lalaban Ka Ba?

Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit with Himig Pasko, Tiendesitas’ Caroling Competition for both adults and children. On November 9, choirs from different schools and organizations will serenade the audience with their best and most loved Christmas carols for the adult edition. On November 16, it’s the kids turn to spread Christmas cheer with their best local Christmas piece.

On November 29, from 6 p.m to 9 p.m, join Tiendesitas as they recognize the young artists in the industry with the PPOP Awards for Young Artists 2019.

Kids will also get the chance to Meet & Greet Santa every Saturday of December (December 7, 14, and 21) at the 1st level of the Food Village from 6 p.m onwards. Pets won’t be left out of the celebration with a Pets Christmas Paw-ty for all our furry friends to enjoy on December 14 from 2 p.m to 6 p.m.

For more information and updates, please visit and follow Tiendesitas on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter at ortigasmalls.com

Holiday comes differently at SM City North EDSA as creatures from out of this world lead the festivities in the entire mall. Glitter Critter Characters from Planet Hapitu creates a more fun and festive mood inside the mall lead by Cap, Boom, Chum, Lox, Oola and Lala, Puchik, Ching, Twinkle, Mick, Baloo, and Baba.

This Glitter Critters are SM City North EDSA's original creation that will make the whole yuletide season to great.



During the launch of SM City North EDSA's centerpiece, SM COO Steven Tan and SM Supermalls Senior VP for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin lead the lighting of the 39 foot modern Glitter Critter Play Christmas Tree. Another reinvention of the usual Christmas Tree.

Present during the launch were celebrities Aubrey Montero and Family, Princess Velasco and Family Camille Pratts and Family, Vanessa Matsunaga and Family, Dimples Romana and Family as well as other important guests that joined in the fun and had their photo taken with the Glitter Critter Character mascots. The evening ended with a spectacular firework display and live concert featuring Autotelic.

Continuing the fun and festivity Glitter Critters have the play park installation at the Skygarden. The Glitter Critter characters lead by Cap with Boom, Puchik, Twinkle, Chum, Baba, Baloo and Lox invite everyone to PLAY with them at the KIDS Mountain. Baloo and Baba pilots the Space Shuttle Sleigh to deliver gifts and Christmas magic. Experience the thrill and Christmas chill with Glitter Critter characters Chum, Puchik, Ching and Mik at The Fun Christmas Roller Coaster Ride.

This Christmas, SM City North EDSA will make mall-goers go in awe and experience the different take of Glitter Critter Characters on November 17, 24 and December 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.

Other Christmas activities at the North include live performances from Ben & Ben, Keiko Necessario, Leanne & Naara and December Avenue in December.

Santa Meet and Greet on December 2, 9, 23, 24, and 25. NU Chorale Performance on December 7. A Magical Science Show by Nutty Scientist on November 30 & December 16, and Fireworks Display on December 15, 22, and 29.

The Glitter Critter Christmas is one of the many exciting seasonal events at SM City North EDSA. #SMGlitterCritterChristmas