How do Filipinos celebrate Thanksgiving here in Jersey City? Do we put stuffed turkey on our table? Do we also serve potatoes, cranberry sauce, and other “Turkey Day” side-dishes the way native Americans do? Or do we feast on Filipino dishes?

During Thanksgiving Day last week, The Tuangco Family [...]]]>

Thanksgiving at Tuangco Residence

How do Filipinos celebrate Thanksgiving here in Jersey City? Do we put stuffed turkey on our table? Do we also serve potatoes, cranberry sauce, and other “Turkey Day” side-dishes the way native Americans do? Or do we feast on Filipino dishes?

During Thanksgiving Day last week, The Tuangco Family (Clendenny Avenue) invited yours truly to their dinner with their family and friends.

They had stuffed turkey, but also served Filipino food such as Kare-Kare, Lumpia, kutsinta, and other Filipino delicacies. The adults were socializing and watching Filipino movie as they enjoyed a few drinks, while the kids were there having fun in the computer.

Below are some pics of the event. Thanks to Tuangco Family for hosting the dinner!

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Please continue to read PAFCOM’s message…

PAFCOM’s Email:

…this Friday we are holding our Flag Raising [...]]]>
In celebration of Philippine’s Independence Day, a Flag-raising ceremony will be held in Downtown, Jersey city tomorrow – June 12, 2009. PAFCOM is inviting Filipinos to join the celebration at the City Hall at 6PM.

Please continue to read PAFCOM’s message…

PAFCOM’s Email:

…this Friday we are holding our Flag Raising Day in Jersey City with Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, Grand Marshal, Dr. Lorie D. Lizardo, a representative from ConGen Cecilia Rebong’s office, and the officers of PAFCOM to lead the celebration.

Please join us this Friday, June 12 at 6 PM at Jersey City Hall for the Flag Raising Ceremony. Let’s all be proud of our flag to hang beautifully and majestically in the City Hall until June 28. Light dinner will be served…

If you are not too busy tomorrow night, drop by at the City Hall and meet other Pinoys representing our beloved country.

Filipinos in the Philippines use firecrackers to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. Common beliefs say [...]]]> As a Filipino, how do you celebrate New Year’s Eve here in Jersey City? I know some Pinoys went to Times Square in New York to witness the giant ball drop. But that tradition is too “western” for some.

Filipinos in the Philippines use firecrackers to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. Common beliefs say that the noise keep bad spirits away.

But what if we are far away from our country? How do we celebrate New Year the Filipino way?

Here’s a short youtube clip (2 min 43 secs) of a family in Jersey City counting down the seconds for the coming new year.

Instead of going to New York, they just watched the countdown on TV. As the new year approached, they made noises, greeted each other, and the little kids blew their “torotots” (horn) like Filipinos do in the Philippines!

Happy New Year to all Filipinos in Jersey City!

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(Next post will be about the Dr. Jose Rizal Oratorical Contest)

Cheers and have a blessed holiday! May we have a prosperous new year ahead of us!

The main dishes of Thanksgiving are the brown roasted turkey and ham. However, Filipino dishes will definitely occupy the dining [...]]]> Who says Filipino Culture is gone here in the US? It is not lost yet when Filipinos in Jersey City celebrate holidays such as Thanksgiving. Filipinos will gather and will still serve Filipino food.

The main dishes of Thanksgiving are the brown roasted turkey and ham. However, Filipino dishes will definitely occupy the dining table.

For instance, Balmaceda Family of Teaneck, New Jersey hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for Couple For Christ-Foundation For Family and Life (CFC-FFL). They served turkey with gravy but Filipino dishes like Paella and Pancit Bihon are still a big hit. Members of CFC shared a dish (not necessarily Filipino), and suddenly, choosing what to eat was hard to do. The table was filled with other “ulam” such as lumpiang shanghai, Beef steak, Asparagus with carrots, and many more.

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More inside this post ….

Another Pinoy culture is Pinoys invite other Pinoys to their home to revel this special day. No matter how small the place is, Filipinos still find a way to share meals with friends and other groups.

Pensoy Family of Jersey City had a pre-Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday (November 22, 2008). The couple invited various church groups to their humble apartment resulting to a “standing-room only” situation. Despite that, Filipinos didn’t mind as they mingled and socialized with each other, while eating home-made Filipino dishes like Kare-Kare, fried Tilapia, Deep-fried Lumpiang Shanghai, and delicacies like puto, kutsinta, biko, and maja blanca.

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Just goes to show that most Filipinos – wherever they are – are still Filipinos by heart and actions. Happy Thanksgiving to all Filipinos – in Jersey City, around New Jersey, and in various parts of the United States!

Happy 4th of July to all Filipinos living here in Jersey City! Enjoy your holiday weekend celebration and stay safe! (Happy Birthday, America!)

So how are you going to spend the holiday? Take advantage of sale discounts? Barbecue with family and friends? Watch some fireworks? Or simply [...]]]>

Happy 4th of July to all Filipinos living here in Jersey City! Enjoy your holiday weekend celebration and stay safe! (Happy Birthday, America!)

So how are you going to spend the holiday? Take advantage of sale discounts? Barbecue with family and friends? Watch some fireworks? Or simply rest?