On December 21, 2013, my family and I threw a New Year’s Party to celebrate the new year.  We did a lot of activities while waiting for the 10 second countdown.  First of all, we waited for all of our guests to come so we could start eating.  There were more people than I expected.  Although the more people, the better.  Next, we ate until we were stuffed.  Many of the visitors brought different types of food so there were so much to choose from!  After that, we started the exchanging gifts (similar to Secret Santa).  The person that I was giving my present to was my brother.  The person that got me and gave me a present was my uncle.  He gave me a really pretty dress.  Then, we just started giving out presents to each other.  My two sisters gave me clothes and money.  My parents got me a 3DS and I was really happy.  Next, we were done with the presents so we sang a little on our karaoke machine.  All of us gathered in the living room and sang really loud.  The time was getting closer to 12:00 so we turned on the T.V. and there was one minute left.  We all waited for the 10 second countdown and it was finally here.  Everyone counted down as loud as they could and when it hit zero, everyone yelled, “Happy New Year!”  Finally, we were all tired and went home.  New Year celebrations with the family are always fun.

Christmas in the Philippines is celebrated a little differently from other countries.  Christmas is the most important holiday in that country.  One thing they do to celebrate the holiday is go to nine early morning masses.  It goes on through December 16 to December 25 (Christmas day).  In Filipino, these masses before Christmas are called ‘Simbang Gabi’ or ‘Misa de Gallo’.  The reason why Christmas is very important in that country is because the country is full of Christians.  The Philippines isn’t completely different from other countries.  They celebrate some things just like the U.S.A.  They have Christmas trees, cards, and even Santa Claus.  Another tradition they do is make something called ‘parols’. They’re really bright and they have a frame with a lighted star in the middle.  Lastly, they have a feast in the middle of the night before Christmas.  It’s called a Noche Buena.  Christmas is very fun in the Philippines.  As they say in the Philippines, ‘Maligayang Pasko’ or Merry Christmas!

The next movie that I am planning to watch is the cartoon movie called, Frozen.  I’ve heard a lot about this movie and many people have said that it was really good.  The trailer showed me that it’s full of action, adventure, and comedy.  The first time I watched the trailer, I thought it was really boring.  Then, many of my friends and family gave a good rating of this movie.  My older sister and her son wants to watch it a second time.  The ratings and compliments I’ve heard about this movie made me want to watch it.  I especially love watching funny cartoon movies.  I will probably watch Frozen at the movie theaters with my two older sisters, little sister, older brother, and my nephew.  I can’t wait to watch this movie with my family!

Every end of the year we invite friends and family to a party that we host to help wait and celebrate the new year.  We do a lot of fun activities before we do the countdown.  This party usually starts at about eight o’clock in the ev.  Also, we have a theme for each of these celebrations.  For example, we’ve had a pajama party, a wacky costume party, and a brand name party (Ex: Aeropostale, Abercrombie, Etc.).  This year we are doing a superhero costume party.  First of all, when everyone gets to the house, we gather everyone to the dining room.  Next, we get our food and eat.  After that, when everybody’s full, we sing karaoke.  We’re really loud because of the singing and laughing but luckily, we have never had a complaint from a neighbor.  Then, after singing, dancing, and laughing, we’re tired and start getting ready to open presents.  We exchange gifts to each other (like secret Santa).  Last year, my sister picked my name and she gave a lot of presents!  I was really happy that she picked my name because she’s usually the one that gives the most.  After exchanging gifts it’s ten minutes before the new year, so we sit down by the T.V. and watch the countdown at the New York Timesquare.  After one, everyone screams so loud that my ears almost go deaf.  Finally, we’re tired because it’s midnight and everyone goes home. New Year’s parties are always fun when you’re with family and friends.