The Tree

Rumor has it that the first Christmas tree was a sapling growing outside the stable in Jerusalem where Jesus was born. Angels came to tie their gifts on the tender branches of the young tree. Years passed. The tree grew tall and strong. Then one day, 33 years since that fateful night, the tree came crushing down. The tree was trimmed of its many branches and cut into specific portions. The tree parts were hauled all the way to a courtyard. A carpenter was called to prepare it. Two days after, the tree, now a cross, was placed on Jesus’ shoulder.


My first memory of a Christmas tree was not a tree. It was a bougainvillea in a pot that my mother hauled to the middle of our sala. I remember decorating it with clumps of cotton “snow”. As I grew up, so did our lone pine tree. By Christmas, it would annually “gave” of its thicker branch and my mother would fit it into a large can filled with rocks. As the family’s financial circumstances improved, colorful glass balls and some gold tinsel were added to the clumps of cotton “snow”. I still can remember how the pine scent filled our sala. It was during my college years that the plastic Christmas tree made its appearance at our house. My mother got it on sale and for the next couple of years, this 8-foot giant graced our home. My mother had commissioned an electrician to come up with special colored lights. The light bulbs were huge as compared to the present tiny lcd Christmas lights flooding department stores.

When my husband and I moved into our first apartment, money was tight. Remembering my first Christmas tree, I brought in a potted plant. Together with my 5-year old son, we decorated our tree with cut-out characters from magazines. The “tree” was our only Christmas décor. Actually the only décor we had in our apartment. When we finally moved into our house, my mother-in-law gave us her plastic Christmas tree. She was replacing it with a taller tree. And as the tree was of good quality, this plastic Christmas tree has been a part of my family’s Christmas tradition for over 20 years now.

Over the years, I have accumulated a considerable collection of Christmas décor. A particular motif would be considered: Angels or Santa or Ponsettia,



Red or Gold, Red and Gold, and when the mood hits, we pile the tree with everything we’ve got.



My son and daughter were on hand to help decorate the tree. To help set the mood, I would play Christmas carols.

My ceramic Belen (Nativity Set), a constant fixture during Christmas, was handed down to me by a sister. She had replaced this with one that she painstakingly brought in from abroad. My kids enjoyed arranging the assortment of animals. Sometimes, if I was not attentive enough, a dinosaur would make an appearance.



In recent years, I find I am left alone to put up the Christmas tree. My son has his own place and my daughter, if she is home, would pop out of her room to give her comments on my finished handiwork. My hubby, on the other hand, considers anything decorative a woman’s territory.

Two days ago, I woke up from a long afternoon nap. As I made my way down the stairs, I noticed my two young house helps busy decorating the Christmas tree.

“What’s this year’s motif?”, I asked.

“Red”, was H’s response.

I go back up to my room to get my camera.



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What is Christmas without delicious dishes coming out of the kitchen and calorie overload? And taking a cue from an over-decked Christmas tree, no festive table would be complete without a whole lechon.

But a whole lechon could be a bit too much-- on the heart as well as on the pocket. But no worries when you try my "healthy" lechon kawali.

Turbo Cooker Lechon Kawali

2 kilos of pork liempo (belly)
10 whole pepper corn
1 laurel leaf
1/2 to 1 head of garlic (depending on size), pounded
1 tablespoon of salt

Submerge your pork belly in a pot of water and add the rest of the ingredients. After bringing to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Cook pork until meat is fork-tender (fork easily pricks the skin with no resistance).



Remove the belly from the liquid and cool down on a rack.



Once cool to the touch, prick the skin thoroughly with a fork. Now massage about a teaspoon of rock salt into the skin.



You may want to wrap the sides of the belly with tin foil to prevent the lechon from drying out. When ready, place belly inside a turbo cooker.



Set on highest temperature and cook until skin is nice and crackly-- about 30-45 minutes. From time to time, sprinkle water on the skin. This causes blisters on the skin and aids in coming up with a crispy skin.



Once done, let the lechon rest for 10 minutes before cutting it up into serving pieces.



You may serve this with bottled lechon sauce or your favorite dipping sauces.