Pampanga's Giant Lantern Festival Is Back in Time for Christmas

(SPOT.ph) Whether personally or communally, it's safe to say that we've been living in dark times for the better part of the last three years. Without the structure of everyday life and even the flurry of outdoor living, it could be said that most of us have lost the guiding lights of our life. However, as Ariana Grande once wrote, "the light is coming to give back everything the darkness stole." Yup, we've definitely witnessed that in 2022, what with the readjustment to social life and all the new reopenings.

Turns out we've been good kids in the past year, especially, because the holiday season is bringing back the lights, literally. The Christmas Capital of the Philippines, a.k.a. the city of San Fernando in Pampanga, is bringing back its in-person Giant Lantern Festival this year after last year's virtual showings. Its nightly exhibitions will be held from December 18 to January 1 in various spots in San Fernando and around the villages of Pampanga.

Also read: Mall of Asia's Holiday Fireworks Show Is Back

Here's the lineup and schedule of the San Fernando Giant Lantern Festival 2022:

Kicking off the festival will be the opening night event of Ligligang Parul on Saturday, December 17, at Robinsons Starmills Pampanga. Following that will be the two weeks of nightly exhibitions featuring parols made by barangays vying for the coveted "Brightest Star" award—and that's more than just any other gold star achievement you might've received in elementary school. Prizes for the competing barangays are said to go up to P300,000, which is more than double the grand prize up for grabs in 2019 (via Inquirer). Reach for the stars indeed.

Starting Monday, December 19, the parols will be moved around different locales in the city, before finding residence at the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, where they will stay from Sunday, December 23, to Christmas Day. From Christmas until the end of the festival on January 3, the parols will travel around the nearby villages.

The number of participating barangays this year is an expansion from last year's seven-barangay lineup. 10 barangays are competing this year, namely Bulaon, Calulut, Del Pilar, Dolores, Pandaras, San Juan, San Nicolas, Sta. Lucia, Sto. Niño, and Telabastagan.

Also read: The SPOT.ph Early 'Ber Gift Guide: Tita Edition

For more information, check out Giant Lantern's Facebook page.

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