It was not only a religious celebration it was a social event as well. The mass sponsors provided the lectors, commentators, collectors, altar servers, the choir and any and all tasks attendant to celebrating the mass. Every mass was sponsored by one or two socio-civic organization, a church-based group, school-based youth organization or barangay units. Parishioners filled-up the church every day of the simbang gabi. Misa de Gallo, as we called it, was an event that everybody looked forward to. I remember with fondness the simbang gabi of my youth, in Padada, Davao del Sur. In fact, it was so dark going to church from their homes that the faithful brought with them lanterns or parol… which later on took various shapes… and eventually into the shape of a star – the Christmas lanterns of today we are familiar with. The problem however, is that the subjects have to be in their agricultural fields early, so as a compromise, the clergy began to hold Mass early dawn when the land would still be dark. The friars convinced the catholic converts to prepare themselves for the celebration of the birth of the Saviour and what more fitting preparation there is but to attend nine-day novena mass. It is common among former colonies of Spain. flickr photo by storm-cryptīut the original practice is to hold it at dawn at hours before the sun rises. But in recent years, when masses are also regularly held in chapels and other places outside of the main church, simbang gabis are held during evenings – at 7:00, 8:00 or 9:00 depending on the availability of the priest celebrant. Today is the first day of the Simbang Gabi – a nine-day novena which starts December 16 and ends on December 24.