The story of the Filipino Christmas parol and how to make one

Filipinos around the world hold one Christmas symbol above the rest: the parol, a traditional ornamental lantern that adorns streets, homes, malls and buildings in the Philippines.

The lantern is typically star-shaped and symbolizes “the triumph of light over darkness, joy and hope,” says Raquel Redondiez, director of SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District.

The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.

Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.

Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.

Materials include beads, glass, shells,

feathers and upcycled plastic. Some

communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.

Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.

Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.

Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.

The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.

Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.

Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.

Materials include beads, glass, shells,

feathers and upcycled plastic. Some

communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.

Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.

Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.

Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.

The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.

Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.

Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.

Materials include beads, glass, shells, feathers and upcycled plastic. Some communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.

Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.

Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.

Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.

The lanterns’ roots predate the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 16th century, says Giselle Tongi-Walters, executive director for the Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture, better known as FilAm Arts.

In ancient times, the lanterns were a symbol of hospitality. Travelers who saw one hanging in a home’s open window at night knew they were welcome to seek refuge there, according to “The Parol Story,” a presentation by FilAm Arts board member and artist Eliseo Art Silva.

Under the rule and religious influence of Spain, star-shaped lanterns on bamboo poles lit the way to early morning mass. “There’s so many layers to the symbolism of parol, and it means something different for everyone,” said Redondiez.

The tradition is so important in Filipino American communities that they have created parol festivals in the United States, including in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they also pass on the art of parol-making through workshops.

Here’s how you can make your own parol

What you need

Five 2-inch

bamboo sticks

Scissors

10 15-inch

bamboo sticks or

any pliable wood

15 rubber

bands

Glue gun and

glue sticks

GLUE

Three 16x23-inch sheets of colored tissue paper

All-purpose

glue

Start by creating one star

1

2

Arrange four sticks into

two V shapes and tie the ends together with rubber bands.

Cross the Vs and tie the top point.

Lay a stick across the

remaining points and

tie the ends with

rubber bands.

Use hot glue to join the points where the wood intersects.

Make a second star and join the two together

Star 2 is

directly

above it

Star 1 is

the base

Star 1

Use hot glue to attach a short stick on each points of the pentagon on the first star.

Dab hot glue on top of the short sticks and attach the second star. Let the glue dry.

Tie the points together

with rubber bands.

Wrap your star in paper

Apply glue on

the wood

GLUE

Apply all-purpose glue

to the outer surface of the pentagon.

Cut your paper into

two 6x6-inch strips

and 20 4x6-inch strips.

Glue 4x6-inch strips to the

triangle panels until this

side is covered. Flip the

star and do the other side.

Stick the 6x6-inch strip

on the pentagon. After

the glue dries, trim the

excess paper.

Finish off by gluing 4x6-inch

strips on side panels.

The tail is optional, but

here’s an easy way to add one

You’ll need:

Two rubber

bands

Scissors

Two 16x23-inch sheets

of colored tissue paper

String

Cut around 40 1x16-inch strips of paper.

Make two bundles and tie one end with a rubber band. Fluff them to give the tail volume.

Use the string to attach the tails to

the two bottom corner of your star.

What you need for the star

Five 2-inch

bamboo sticks

Scissors

GLUE

10 15-inch sticks

of bamboo or

any pliable wood

Three 16x23-inch

sheets of colored

tissue paper

Glue gun

and glue

sticks

15 rubber

bands

All-purpose

glue

Start by creating one star

1

2

Lay a stick across the

remaining points and

tie the ends with

rubber bands.

Arrange four sticks into two V shapes and tie the ends together with rubber bands.

Cross the Vs and tie the top point.

Use hot glue to join the points where the wood intersects.

Make a second star and join the two together

Star 2 is directly

above it

Star 1 is

the base

Star 1

Use hot glue to attach a short stick on each points of the pentagon on the first star.

Dab hot glue on top of the short sticks and attach the second star. Let the glue dry.

Tie the points together

with rubber bands.

Wrap your star in paper

Apply glue on

the wood

GLUE

Cut your paper into two

6x6-inch strips and 20

4x6-inch strips.

Stick the 6x6-inch strip

on the pentagon. After

the glue dries, trim the

excess paper.

Apply all-purpose glue

to the outer surface of the pentagon.

Glue 4x6-inch strips to the

triangle panels until this side

is covered. Flip the star and do

the other side.

Finish off by gluing

4x6-inch strips on

side panels.

A tail is optional, but here’s an easy way to add one

You’ll need:

Two rubber

bands

Scissors

Two 16x23-inch

sheets of colored

tissue paper

String

Make two bundles and tie one end with a rubber band. Fluff them to give the tail volume.

Use the string to attach

the tails to the two bottom

corners of your star.

Cut around 40 1x16-inch strips of paper.

Your parol can be as simple or wild as you’d like, whatever matches your style and skills. Ciriaco Sayoc, an artist based in San Francisco, has crafted his own parol style using interlocking wooden pieces inspired by traditional wooden boats and featuring the sunburst rattan weave.

Transforming the parol into something new, he said, is a nod to his Filipino culture, a tribute to his grandfather, and a way to showcase his growth as an artist. “There’s that memory of me working with my grandfather, watching him make the parol,” Sayoc said. “So when it came to this, I thought, how can I take this and make it my own?”

He hopes that every parol “brings everyone a sense of joy, the sense of happiness that we as a people exude. When you see one and it’s lighting up, there’s this warm feeling. I think that’s what I want people to walk away with.”

Make your own parol to bring a little more warmth to your home this holiday season.