In a dazzling display of panoramic animation, a kaleidoscopic explosion of colors, and a swirl of seasonal patterns, the Festival of Lights is still merry and bright, even in the virtual sense.
Even if Christmas isn’t totally your thing, although that is highly debatable, it can be hard to contend with the things that relate to the season such as the endless feasting, the connecting (and reconnecting), and well, the gifts, sure. But more than these manifestations, nothing comes close to the merry and magic the dazzling lights that brighten up rooms, facades, and the streets bring. It is a scene that is all too familiar in many a Christmas flick or in real life, the moment the switch is on, the sparkling, twinkling, and glittering not only brings a smile to one’s face, but it also warms even the iciest and most cynical of hearts, guaranteed. There’s a reason why blocks of houses compete with each other for the best display, expansive Christmas villages are built, and families and friends flock to a festival of lights for their holiday tradition.
When the city lights up in time for Christmas it just makes your skip a beat, so when the pandemic hit and safety was of everyone’s natural concern, the physical, larger-than-life traditions had to packed away indefinitely, or in some cases realized in smaller, more intimate scales. With movements and distances limited, the rest of the world had to stay indoors, so the lights, while they shimmered splendidly outside, were only appreciated from afar if at all.
Now, there was and still is no way that the Christmas spirit can be dampened, especially for the Filipinos, so instead of just mucking around, the reason for the season was not lost as in the name of tradition and bringing people together, washes of light outlined homes, and virtual versions of the festival of lights that has become signature and significant to the holidays were mounted.
Make It Virtual
Just like it did last year, Ayala Land and Make It Makati continues to bring the warm and fuzzies of Christmas with the spectacle of the Festival of Lights that has been synonymous to the Ayala Triangle. While coming together in that communal sense is still not allowed, the traditional lights and sound show is now set to beamed right at home.
Launched in November 12, the Festival of Lights, while still very much virtual is guaranteed to be bigger, better, and brighter. In the two-part show, which is presented in partnership with Globe Studios, spearheaded by Director Quark Henares and Acid House, and co-presented by Coca-Cola, the experience will be made even more festive with the crooning of Christmas tunes by Philippine music icon, Jose Mari Chan. How’s that for a soundtrack?
In this immersive walk-through, a panoramic display of kaleidoscopic colors, swirls of optic patterns, and flashing lights explode into a full animated view. The nostalgia of Christmas that has gone before, as well as of the Christmas that is yet to come is felt, all that is needed is a bite of bibingka, a sip of tsokolate, and a snap to encapsulate the memories. More than just a screencap, the Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021 can be lived out at home with AR Filters. Want to share your selfie with the 360-degree display or a Christmas box with carolers? Simply search for Make It Makati on Instagram, tap the filter, and voila, it’s as if you’re in the middle of Ayala Triangle. Look, no need to worry yourself with the holiday rush here.
All Of The Lights
If you happen to be in the area of the city, the Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021 is made accessible through QR code displays and digital boxes in select spots all over the Makati Central Business District and Circuit Makati. So, if you chance upon one in the underpasses, walkways, malls, and parks, scan away and experience the magic right at the palm of your hands.
“Families and friends may be physically apart, but the country’s most-loved Christmas lights and sounds show aim to give deeper meaning and greater joy to the holiday by connecting everyone—near or far—through the Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition,” says Chrissy Roa, Marketing Head of Ayala Land Estates. And true enough, even if it is just a simulation of what once and hopefully, what it will be in the years to come, Christmas is very much bright and brimming from where we stand.
While the joy may not be in the same magnificent and massive way we do it as Filipinos, there is no way that the spirit of the season is lost. On the contrary, now more than ever, the meaning of the merriment has deepened with a more profound appreciation for the bonds that make the holidays, as well as of the overflowing gratitude that despite it all, just like the festival of lights, there still is hope in one way or another.
CONTINUE READING: HOW THE CHRISTMAS STATION ID BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FILIPINO TRADITION
