Simbang Gabi (Evening Mass) is the best and famous Christmas tradition in the Philippines. It's a 9 day mass held every 4am or 5am in the morning starting on December 16 and ending on December 24.The last day of the Simbang Gabi, which is Christmas Eve, is called "Misa de Gallo", which literally translates to "Rooster's Mass"
Simbang Gabi started during the Spanish Colonial period when Filipinos work in rice fields and sugar plantation the whole day. Because of the whole day work, Spanish Friars began to hold Mass early dawn when the land would still be dark.
