Also chief among Filipino culture and traditions at Christmas – and really any time of year – is the food. “Without food, there would be no get-together,” said Boothby, who worked for 30 ...

. This rice cake is traditionally cooked outside churches on Simbang Gabi, the 9-day novena masses leading up to Christmas. There is a distinct aroma as the rice cakes are cooked in clay pots ...

For the nine days of Simbang Gabi, a series of celebrations for Filipino Catholics leading up to Christmas ... group handles cooking and serving the food. Following the Dec. 16 Mass at St ...