Planning to visit Philippines in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in Philippines - fast and easy with FilipinoPod101!
| January 6, 2019 | Three Kings |
| February 2, 2019 | Constitution Day |
| February 25, 2019 | People Power Revolution |
| April 9, 2019 | Day of Valor |
| April 19, 2019 | Good Friday |
| April 20, 2019 | Black Saturday |
| May 1, 2019 | Labor Day |
| June 6, 2019 | Eid al-Fitr |
| August 1, 2019 | The Month of Philippine Language Celebration |
| August 21, 2019 | Ninoy Aquino Day |
| August 26, 2019 | National Heroes’ Day |
| November 1, 2019 | All Saints’ Day |
| November 30, 2019 | Bonifacio Day |
| December 8, 2019 | Immaculate Conception Day |
How well do you know holidays in Philippines?
In this article, you learn all about the top Philippines holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know Filipino vocabulary for popular holidays in Philippines too!
That way, you can easily talk about Filipino holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about Filipino culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of Philippines holidays.
Three Kings’ Day or Araw ng Tatlong Hari is celebrated during the first Sunday after New Year’s Day every year. It’s considered the official end of the long Christmas season, or Pasko, in the Philippines. Three Kings’ Day is commemorated by Filipino Catholics as the day on which the Three Magi Kings visited the baby Jesus in his stable in Bethlehem. For many years, Filipino children believed that the Three Kings were the bringers of gifts, regalo in Filipino, and so they would put clean shoes outside their houses in the hope that some candies, chocolates, or money would be waiting for them in the morning. However, due to Western influence surrounding Christmas celebrations, this belief has been supplanted by belief in Santa Claus.
This day is meant to celebrate the Constitution of the Philippines, which was ratified February 2, 1987. People began celebrating in 2002.
In the Philippines, the People Power Revolution (or the Yellow Revolution) is remembered and celebrated on February 25 each year. The People Power Revolution took place around this time in 1986, when people performed demonstrations in Manila to campaign against the totalitarian rule of then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos. These demonstrations were impactful enough to force him to resign, handing power over to Corazone Aquino (the eleventh President of the Philippines, and also the first female to be President there). This Revolution is also appreciated for its non-violent yet powerful nature.
On April 9, Filipinos celebrate the Day of Valor as a public holiday off of school and work. Essentially, this holiday seeks to celebrate and remember those who fought honorably in World War II, and a common festivity is parades in various locations, featuring World War II veterans. Another common aspect of this holiday is shopping with family.
Good Friday is observed through the street processions, or in Filipino prusisyon, that follow the story of the Stations of the Cross. There are even times when the reenactment (pagsasadula) of the Passion of Christ leads to actual crucifixion of people. This is performed by some devotees as a form of penance for their sins.
Many Catholic Filipinos also remember the Siete Palabras on this day, which are the Seven Last Words said by Jesus Christ while he was being crucified.
Black Saturday is the last day of fasting (pag-aayuno) for Catholics in the Philippines. Carrying over from the other days of the Holy Week, the solemn remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus still continues on this day.
For people in larger cities in the Philippines, Black Saturday is typically spent at home, where eating meat and drinking alcohol are prohibited. But in the countryside, many preparations are underway, especially for the procession for the coming Easter Sunday.
Labor Day, also known as the Day of the Workers in the Philippines, is a public holiday observed every first of May. This is a day to celebrate the contributions of the workforce, but it’s also the day when workers express their grievances through rallies, protests, and demonstrations.
Labor Day is also a day on which many job fairs are traditionally held. Led by the Department of Labor and Employment, various companies and local governments hold job fairs offering approximately 300,000 jobs (trabaho).
Eid al-Fitr is the day on which Muslims celebrate the first day of Shawwal, marking the end of a long month of fasting and prayer. For many Filipinos, this is known as the End of Ramadan and is celebrated by both Christian and Muslim Filipinos.
The exact day of this celebration is based on the Islamic calendar and takes place after the first night of the new moon, in Filipino known as bagong buwan.
The Philippines is recognized as a Christian nation in Asia, but it’s also the only Christian country that made the celebration of Eid al-Fitr a national holiday.
What used to be a week-long celebration became a month-long celebration, when President Ramos decided it was important for children to grasp the importance of the language in 1997. Also called Buwan ng Wika, this holiday takes place in August and during this time, students are taught various aspects of what makes the Filipino language so important and unique.
Celebrated on August 21, Ninoy Aquino Day is celebrated as a special non-working holiday in the Philippines. It honors Ninoy Aquino, who’s remembered for his unending support (and fight) for democracy in the Philippines, which he survived even through a lengthy prison term under the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and a temporary exile. He was assassinated on this day in 1983. Filipinos commemorate this through Ninoy Aquino Day, as they also find appreciation in the concept and implementation of democracy in the country.
On this day, which takes place in August on the last Monday of the month, Filipinos seek to honor and remember those who helped to make the Philippines a much better place to live. When not attending special ceremonies, people like to spend their time off work and school with close friends and family.
All Saints’ Day is regarded as an important day in Filipino culture and is observed every November 1. It’s so important because this is the day that family members gather to remember their loved ones, or mahal sa buhay, who have passed away.
On this day, people pray for the souls (kaluluwa), of the dead so that they may reach heaven (langit). Filipino Catholics believe that the souls of the dead remain in purgatory if their relatives don’t pray for their salvation. As a symbol of prayer, people light candles on All Saints’ Day and set them up outside their houses.
Celebrated on November 30 as a national holiday in the Philippines, Bonifacio Day is celebrated in remembrance of Andres Bonifacio who’s known for his strong involvement in beginning the Philippine Revolution in the year 1986. This is celebrated on his birthday.
On December 8, Filipinos celebrate the Immaculate Conception with a feast. This is a public holiday, which means there’s usually no school or work on this day. The Catholic belief of the Immaculate Conception holds that the Virgin Mary conceived Jesus, God’s son, without “original sin.”
You may ask why it is advantageous to know Filipino holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn Filipino on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the Filipino culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in Philippines. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in Filipino, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch Filipino movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct Filipino sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in Filipino, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your Filipino friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your Filipino pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in Philippines. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your Filipino friend who can help you. Or, you can start with FilipinoPod101, for free!
Holidays in Philippines can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your Filipino! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your Filipino lessons here on FilipinoPod101 before you go on holiday to Philippines. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to FilipinoPod101 in a hurry to get to Philippines, study Absolute Beginner Filipino for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little Filipino can go!
FilipinoPod101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn Filipino through FilipinoPod101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
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