Celebrate your Christmas at SM City Batangas' Winter Wonderland!

This year, SM City Batangas offers a magnificent playground covered with white crystal snow flakes and built at the center was Santa Claus’ red house that was covered with snow for its center piece. The centerpiece created a fun-filled experience with your favorite characters from the North Pole namely, the famous all-time favorite Santa Claus and his reindeers, the friendly snowmen and huggable bears, all enthralled to party with us at our very own Winter Wonderland in Batangas!  

Using their colorful parachute and buddy reindeers, the mini Santas all over the world arrived from the roof top of SM City Batangas for an extra special surprise for everyone in the Winter Wonderland.

With the fun and joy of Christmas right around the corner, even grownups would love to have their photos taken with the giant arch filled with red and silver Christmas balls, with crystals embellished around shiny Christmas lights and silky red ribbons.  The attraction that completes our Winter Wonderland is the Christmas tree of lights.

This Christmas, let our mini Santas make your wishes come true. So come join us and have a Merry Christmas at our Winter Wonderland only at SM City Batangas!

Please like them on Facebook!  http://www.facebook.com/smcitybatangas

SM City Bacolod Celebrates Christmas in Style!

Nothing’s more remarkable than seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child.  This is how SM City Bacolod presented their 2011 Christmas Centerpiece Launch.  A gigantic gift was displayed at the Northwing Lobby of SM City Bacolod and beside the silver ribbon is a message from Santa Claus saying, “feel the yuletide season like a child again, with pure joy and endless delight…”

The afternoon of November 12 was indeed full of wonder and delight.  Welcoming the yuletide season was the unveiling of this year’s SM City Bacolod’s Christmas Centerpiece. Endowed by the presence of Bacolod City’s dynamic group of government officials were Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Councilors Em Ang, Rudy Distrito and Catalino Alisbo with Executive Assistant to the Mayor Mr. Moises De la Cruz.

Adding glitz to the already glamorous afternoon was Bacolod’s pride, Ms. Masskara Queen 2011 Alexis Danica Drilon.  GMA, our Christmas partner, joined in the merriment with former Bb. Pilipinas First Runner Up, Ms. Rich Asuncion.

Guests gathered around the huge gift to witness the unraveling of a glittery Giant Wreath, with no other than Santa Claus himself inside!  The countdown for the ceremonial switch came immediately after the unwrapping of the surprise, setting the sparkle on the centerpiece.

Talented SM Little Stars Regional Winners Mianne Fajardo and Jireh Hinlo with equally talented Little Stars Finalists Katrina Colett and Mark Glenn Segovia displayed their acting skills in the heartwarming presentation called “A Child’s Wish”.   Mianne and Jireh’s Christmas prayer for happiness was passionately prayed in a manner that only a child’s pure heart can articulate.

With this, SM City Bacolod’s launch sends out a message to everyone, let us experience Christmas with the joyous heart of a child. 

Like them on Facebook!  http://www.facebook.com/smcitybacolod

Dreaming of a White Christmas at the SM Mall of Asia

In every child’s fantasy, there’s always the dream of the North Pole, Santa’s little elves, Giant magical Christmas trees, Snow Globe and the famous and most loved man of all seasons, Santa Claus!  How every child on Christmas Eve awaits that Big Jolly Man with the luscious beard in the red suit to come down the chimney with a bag full of presents!  Luckily for us here in Manila that wish has been granted and with a lot more bonus surprises. Now Santa himself will ask you, “Have you been naughty or nice this Christmas?” it’s your chance to show him your wish list yourself.

Every child’s dream (even the inner children in us) was turned into reality on November 11, 2011 in one magnificent place, where else other than SM Mall of Asia. The sparkle and twinkle in every child’s eyes was seen when the Christmas treat was unveiled during the Christmas launch of the 1^st SM Supermalls Christmas Centerpiece was unveiled and where else other than the largest mall in the Philippines, SM Mall of Asia where little snow globes were magically transformed into a life size Snow Globe.

The night was indeed a starry night as the launch featured stars of all stars, none other than ABS-CBN’s STARMAGIC cast Karylle and Nikki Gil who were the hosts of the night. With song numbers by ABS-CBN’s PGT runner up Khalil Ramos and the grand champions Jovit and the Maasinho Trio, serenading the audiences with our all-time favorite Christmas songs.

With the most highly influential guests in the audience namely Ms. Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls, Mr. Hans Sy, President of SM Prime and Steven Tan, Assistant Vice-President of Operations for SM Premier malls to welcome the yuletide season, the night couldn’t get any better than this.  Richard Gomez and family, together with Mr. Hans Sy led the Christmas lighting ceremony with ceremoniously started the Christmas ChriSMs cheer.   

If you think that’s star studded enough, the audiences were given an even bigger bonus with dance numbers by Bugoy Carino and the Supahkids and performances by none other than Jed Madela with the Mandaluyong Boys Choir and the soul siren Nina and Zia Quizon.   

Feed your eyes to the most bright and shining and enchanted Christmas tree illuminating this festive season where a giant Christmas tree wrapped in colorful lights and adorned with decors was one of the highlights of the night, with also the Christmas teaser of this year’s SM Christmas jingle featuring Maria Aragon, this will surely is going to be a whimsical Christmas season.

Join us and get on Santa’s sleigh ride to SM Mall of Asia and jingle bells your way to the hippest and most enthralling place in town with festive sales, you’ll surely scratch out everything on your wish list this year. Here’s our chance to experience snow in a tropical country. Now every child and even adult can experience the most awaited wish come true only in SM Mall of Asia.

For more Christmas updates for SM Mall of Asia, check out their Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/smmallofasia

SM City Bacoor's Christmas Carousel Playland!

Oh, how fun it is riding on a Carousel!

going 'round in circles, hearing yuletide cheers

the glorious sight, just when I hear the bells

lights are shinning, all is clear.

let’s play all day; everything’s still

round and round, feelin’ the Christmas chill!

Boasting a glittery and whimsical Christmas Carousel Playland with eight pearlized carousel horses and unicorns wearing multi-coloured tapestry in playful colors of red, purple, green  and gold  to fuel the Christmas spirit, SM City Bacoor recently launched its Christmas attraction for 2011 simultaneously across all SM Supermalls last November 12 with a Christmas Carnival theme.

Looming around the Playland are oversized gifts, yoyos, dices and candy canes highlighted with three giant Christmas trees adorned with red berries and poinsettia flowers for shoppers to feast their eyes on in the merriest season of all!

The centrepiece will be the main attraction of the mall until the first week of January 2012 at the Event Center of SM City Bacoor located at Lower Ground Floor in between SM Supermarket and Foodcourt.

For more information please call: 417-0330

Or visit SM City Bacoor on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/smcitybacoor

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE CHRISMS CELEBRATION ONLY AT SM SUPERMALLS

Get the latest updates from all 40 SM Supermalls nationwide!!! Simply follow the SM Supermalls Christmas fan page!

CHRISTMAS REINDEER: WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

History of Christmas Reindeer is associated with Santa Claus riding on it from the far off north to present gifts to children on the Christmas day. Santa has eight reindeers that magically pull his sleigh through the sky. They are named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (thunder in Dutch) and Blitzen (lightning in German).

Reindeers were ancient domestic animals that came into being several thousands years ago. Rock paintings as well as carpentries were made from parts of this animal. Reindeer is the beloved symbol of Christmas.

History of Christmas Reindeer carries with it numerous legendary interpretations. The mythical stories of the Norse narrate the tale of Thor, the god of Thunder who flew through the stormy sky in chariots drawn by magical goats termed Gnasher and Cracker. Goat was also a popular Christmas symbol in Sweden during the 18th c. It was the bearer of Santa Claus. In Finland the traditional gift bringer during Christmas was Joulupukki or the Yule buck.

The names of the reindeers appeared from a Christmas rhyme ‘Twas the night before Christmas written by Major Henry Livingstone Junior in 1807. It was entitled as Account of a visit from St. Nicholas. The renowned educationist Clement Clark Moore made many alterations to it.

Robert L May wrote the story of Rudolf the red- nosed Reindeer May in 1939 in a booklet for the Montgomery Ward department stores. The Rudolph story reached its heights later when May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, developed the lyrics and melody for the song. The song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949, and sold two million copies in the first year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time.

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TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOYFUL AT SM SUPERMALLS!!!

SM Supermalls bursts with fun, joy and a thousand things to do as it welcomes the Yuletide Season with an exciting new Christmas anthem!!!

Be one of the first to download this exciting jingle by simply following our Facebook page and get the latest updates and what's happening in all SM Supermalls - Nationwide!!!

A million lights! A thousand voices! 40 SM Supermalls! It's all happening, this November 6!!!
Follow the SM Supermalls Christmas Facebook page and get the latest updates from all SM Supermalls nationwide!!!

THE ORIGINS OF SAINT NICOLAS, SANTA CLAUS, PRESENTS, AND TREES

Saint Nicholas Day (December 6) was the traditional day for giving gifts to children. It is still the day on which children receive gifts from St. Nicholas in the Netherlands. Epiphany (January 6) is, in the western Church, the commemoration of day on which the three kings presented the baby Jesus with gifts.

Saint Nicholas was the bishop of Myra in Lycia, which is in modern Turkey, sometime before AD 350. Nothing is known of his life except for the legends that have built up around him, but he was associated with kindness to children. He was a widely admired saint throughout the eastern and western churches. The Dutch custom of giving presents to children on St. Nicholas Day was brought to America by early Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam, which was renamed New York when the British took over the colony. Santa Claus is the American pronunciation of Sinter Klaas, which was colloquial Dutch for Saint Nicholas.

In the US, gifts are now exchanged on Christmas Day in a sort of compromise of Dutch, German, and British gift-giving customs. The Christmas tree is a Christianized pagan custom that originated in Germany. German settlers introduced it in America. It became popular during the nineteenth century, and then later spread to Britain and Japan from the US.

Source: Copyright ©1995-2010 by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins and his licensors. All rights reserved.

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TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOYFUL AT SM SUPERMALLS!!!

SM Supermalls bursts with fun, joy and a thousand things to do as it welcomes the Yuletide Season with an exciting new Christmas anthem!!!

Be one of the first to download this exciting jingle by simply following our Facebook page and get the latest updates and what's happening in all SM Supermalls - Nationwide!!!

A million lights! A thousand voices! 40 SM Supermalls! It's all happening, this November 6!!!

Follow the SM Supermalls Christmas Facebook page and get the latest updates from all SM Supermalls nationwide!!!

CHRISTMAS DAY: THE ORIGIN OF THE DATE

There is a very widespread theory that Christmas began in Rome as a response to pagan festivities centering around the winter solstice, which was locally considered to be 25 December. The pagan celebration, which was first established by the Roman emperor Aurelian in AD 274, was called The Birth of the Invincible Sun. However, there is evidence that, some years earlier, Christians had made a sincere attempt to calculate the actual date of Jesus’ birthday. People commonly believe that Christmas was instituted on the date of a pagan holiday to supplant it, but it was actually the other way around. Christmas was there first.

In ancient Judaism, there was a common belief, which ancient Christians inherited, that the prophets of Israel died on the on the same date as their birth or conception. This may be behind the long-standing Christian custom of referring to the date of a martyr’s death as their “birthday in heaven.” According to ancient western calculations, Jesus was crucified on 25 March, so they assumed that 25 March was the date of Jesus’ conception. The Annunciation is still commemorated on that date to this day. Nine months after 25 March leads to 25 December, which would be the birthday of Jesus Christ if all those assumptions and calculations were correct. They aren’t correct, but the fact remains that the date has a Christian origin.

In AD 354, Philocalus wrote a Christian martyrology that dates the nativity of Jesus Christ on December 25, and cites an earlier work as backup. From this we can deduce that Christmas was celebrated on the present date at least as early as AD 335 in Rome.

Source: Copyright ©1995-2010 by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins and his licensors. All rights reserved.

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TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOYFUL AT SM SUPERMALLS!!!

SM Supermalls bursts with fun, joy and a thousand things to do as it welcomes the Yuletide Season with an exciting new Christmas anthem!!!

Be one of the first to download this exciting jingle by simply following our Facebook page and get the latest updates and what's happening in all SM Supermalls - Nationwide!!!

A million lights! A thousand voices! 40 SM Supermalls! It's all happening, this November 6!!!