On Dec. 6, nearly 200 people gathered at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds to celebrate Christmas with the Filipino-American (FilAm) Club community. The annual party has grown over the years and includes a diverse variety of events, entertainment and food.
The event dates back about 30 years, when a small group of Filipino immigrants, their families and friends first gathered at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen for a Christmas party. In those days, they could expect 30 to 50 attendees, but through the 1990s numbers waned and the group took a break from planning a formal event.
In 2007, Ellen Tagobader became a part of the Filipino-American Club and sought to bring back the annual Christmas party. That year they hosted the party at St. Mary’s once again but numbers were so great, guests ran out of seating and were left with standing room only. The event continued to grow and moved among various locations. In 2013, the group decided to make the move to the fairgrounds where yet another boon in attendance packed the 300 capacity room.
This year, the crowds trickled in around 3 p.m., bringing hot dishes of roast turkey, pancit (noodles) and even some pizza. Old friends greeted one another, kids ran and spun on the spacious dance floor (as kids do), and families posed by the Christmas tree for photos. In a short time, the room was full of smiling faces, delicious food on a table nearly 36 feet long, and a live band had begun to play while guests danced and swayed along.
This year, as has been the tradition over the history of this event, the American and Filipino national anthems were sung after the welcome. While guests filtered through the long food line, grabbing heaps of various traditional potluck foods, a band performed a mix of American and Filipino pop music and the DJ’s lights spun.
A high point of the annual parties has become the traditional and modern choreographed dances. As children and women lined up at the side of the stage, preparing for their performance with flowers and bright sashes, the MC explained the history of the dance they would perform this year, the Sinulog.
Each year the group performs a different traditional dance. The Sinulog is a dance performed at an annual festival held in Cebu, celebrating the people’s Christian belief with street dancing and bright flowers. In the Philippines, the celebration begins in January and lasts nine days, culminating with a parade and procession carrying a statue of the Santo Niño, representative of the baby Jesus, to the Basilica Minore del Santo.
The Sinulog dance is customarily performed at the festival, dramatizing the presentation of the Santo Niño to the Queen Juana in the year 1521. The story tells of Queen Juana dancing with joy as she was presented an image of the boy Jesus from a Portuguese explorer. Sinulog literally means “like water current movement” and describes the forward and backward movement of the dance.
Many of those attending the FilAm Christmas party have been to this festival when they lived in the Philippines or on visits. “Sinulog is like the Carnival of Asia; when I was there, over 3 million people were in attendance and it definitely felt like it,” said FilAm Club Vice President, Eric Jackson. “The liveliness and devotion is infectious.”
The FilAm Club hosts its Christmas party each December along with a summer picnic in Montesano. They welcome guests from all over Washington State to these events and enjoy sharing their culture with visitors.
Britta Folden is a long time Harborite, co-owner of Alder Creative in downtown Aberdeen and seeker of all great things in the area.
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