In the Philippines, Christianity is the chosen religion and Christmas begins 9 days before the 25^th with a mass, the Misa de Gallo when the story of the birth of Jesus is read.  Each evening, the Panunuluyan pageant is held and a couple is chosen to re-enact Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter. On Christmas Day, mass is held every hour to accommodate everyone that would like to attend –  the service will include a pastore (a play) that ends when a star is lowered from the roof of the church onto the Nativity Scene.  The celebrations are fascinating because old tribal customs are combined with typical

Christmas traditions and serenading  cumbancheros (strolling minstrels) end their performances by singing Maligayang Pasko to the tune of Happy Birthday! Children will walk around the neighbourhoods singing carols for which they reimbursed with money or treats. In the event that they do get money, it is spent on buying gifts either for themselves or for their relatives. Star lanterns will be made from thin strips of bamboo that will be covered with cellophane and carried with them – this symbolises the guiding star that the magi used to find Jesus – over and above that, for the people of the Philippines, it is symbolic of inviting the spirit of Christ into their homes to make up for the time when there was no room for Jesus and his family anywhere in Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve everyone will enjoy fireworks after the midnight meal (noche Buena) which is served when families come home after midnight mass. The next day they will sit down to lechon (roast suckling pig) and pansit (noodles). Even though he is Italian, we felt that Antonio Carluccio’s recipe for Porchetta was as good as it gets and we include it here.

Ingredients

• 1 small suckling pig weighing around 8kg, bones removed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
• 1.8kg lardo (available from Italian delis, or alternatively use very fatty air-cured bacon), finely chopped
• 1kg goats’ or lambs’ livers, finely chopped
• 500g sweetbreads, trimmed and chopped
• 200g seedless raisins
• 4 tbsp each chopped fresh mint, marjoram and parsley
• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 20g freshly ground black pepper
• 20g ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 300g dried prunes
• 300g dried morello cherries
• 200g pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
• Virgin olive oil, for frying and brushing
• 3 onions, roughly chopped
• 10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 300g stale bread, soaked in water to soften, squeezed of excess moisture and torn into pieces
• salt, for sprinkling

Method

• Place the chopped lardo, livers, sweetbreads, raisins, herbs, egg yolks, spices, dried fruit and grated cheese into a very large bowl and stir well.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and gently fry the onions until softened. Add the garlic and bread pieces and stir well.
• Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
• Sprinkle the cavity of the suckling pig with salt, then stuff with the stuffing mixture.
• Sew up the pig, with someone else to help you, and tie it up. Put the pig onto a spit, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Place the pig into a large bread oven, with glowing embers, not lots of flames, for 1½-2 hours, basting frequently.
• Finally put the pig on the spit in front of the fireplace to crispen up. Allow to rest before carving and serving.