A Filipino woman will appreciate your presence, but get her some nice presents too.
It’s December, which means that you’re right in the thick of the Christmas season by now with Thanksgiving done and digested. If you’re a guy who’s experiencing the bliss that comes with dating a Filipino woman, then you should know that the Christmas season has been well underway for her since September.
That’s not an exaggeration. The Philippines is recognized for having the longest Christmas season in the world, with at least a third of each calendar year dedicated to celebrating Christmas, with some families managing to stretch the season well into the next year. Celebrating Christmas that early and that long is among the most important of Filipino traditions.
This doesn’t mean that Santa decorations or holiday sales go up as soon as it’s September. Rather, the first day of September is when people start counting down to Christmas. If you’re in the Philippines and you need a sign that the season has begun, be on the lookout for carolers. If you see them, then it’s Christmas.
Because the culture of the Philippines is based partly on its widespread Catholicism, Christmas is celebrated as a religious holiday and you’ll probably see more than a few nativity scenes in public places. But the commercial aspects of Christmas – the tree, the gifts, the stockings – are also observed.
So now you find yourself in a conundrum. You want to get her a nice gift. And you also want to get her a few stocking stuffers, maybe not a partridge in a pear tree but you want to get her something she’ll enjoy. But you’ve got no idea what she wants.
While you could just ask her what she wants for Christmas, that would ruin the surprise. You want to see her face light up in a combination of shock and delight when she tears the wrapping paper. What do you give her in the leadup to Christmas?
Find the perfect stocking stuffers to get her revved up for Christmas.
First up, you need to figure out your stocking stuffers. These are the little gifts that you give her in the days leading up to Christmas. These gifts do not have to be expensive and because they’re meant to be stuffed in Christmas stockings, they also have to be small.
A Gift Card: An easy stocking stuffer you can get is a gift card. You can give her a gift card to her favorite coffee shop then she can get herself a cup of coffee or tea or whatever drink suits her fancy.
Makeup: If you want to get something that she’ll be able to use more than once, you can get her some makeup. You don’t have to get her a full set, but maybe you can get a tube of lipstick or some new mascara.
Keep in mind that you should know exactly what brand she uses. Using a different type of makeup all of a sudden might cause her a breakout of acne or she might be allergic to certain brands.
If you’re unsure of what brands she uses, you can get her some makeup brushes or an ice roller.
Chocolate: Something that you need to know about Filipinos is that they have a major sweet tooth. Even foods that are supposed to be savory, like ketchup, are sweet. In ketchup’s case it’s because Filipinos make it with bananas as opposed to tomatoes.
So Filipinos love their sweets and your girlfriend is no different. So stuff her stocking with a bar of chocolate and it should be good chocolate, not the kind you’d find at the counter in a convenience store.
Fruitcake: While this isn’t technically something you stuff in a stocking, it’s a staple that’s given out in the Philippines quite a lot. People often give fruitcakes to their family members, neighbors, or friends. While no one is recommending that you give one to your girlfriend, giving one to her family will win you some brownie points with her.
The best present isn’t always perfect, but it is always thoughtful.
Now that you’ve got some stocking stuffers out of the way, it’s time for the main event, the gift— the thing that will fill her with delight on Christmas Day. But the same dilemma rears its ugly head and you once again find yourself hitting a wall: no idea what to get your girlfriend.
A sneaky way for you to find her something that she likes is to do some snooping. If your partner does any kind of online shopping, find some way to get to her device, pull up whatever app she uses, and check her wishlist.
There, you’ll find a veritable treasure trove of information in regards to the things she wants.
But if that kind of snooping isn’t something that you can do, then there are a few staple gifts that you can get your girlfriend that she’s sure to love.
Pumps: If you’re stumped for a gift, then you go with a wardrobe staple that women need and that is a pair of black high-heeled pumps. You get her a pair of black pumps and she’ll be able to use them in pretty much every situation.
She can wear them with jeans for a casual look, wear them with a suit to wear to the office, or wherever. They go with every type of outfit so your girl is going to have some serious versatility on her hands if you get her a pair.
A Gift Card: This one’s a repeat entry, but unlike the gift card described above, this gift card wouldn’t be for a coffee shop. This would be for a place like her favorite clothing boutique or a spa and it would have to be of a significantly higher value so she can really enjoy herself.
An Engagement Ring: If you’re really stumped for ideas and really in love, then you might as well go with the nuclear option and get her an engagement ring. If you’re not sure about her ring size, then check her other rings and trace them so that you have a reference for when you go to the jeweler.
Christmas is, to a lot of people, the most wonderful time of the year. What makes it so wonderful is partly the company. It’s being with all the people you love. But another part of what makes it such a special time is making those very same people happy by getting something nice and if you’re dating a Filipina, there’s nothing quite like making her happy.
Ronna Lou Live
