While Roma Famoso-Galon continues to celebrate Christmas the way she did when she was still living in the Philippines, the holidays are more special now that she is in Guam, because she gets to decorate her own fresh pine tree.

“It smells so good, so sweet. It lasts for a month or more. You don’t need to water it,” said Galon, who has been living in Guam for six years now.

“The trees are imported from the mainland United States. They don’t grow here on the island. It is sturdy enough for the Christmas decor to hang from. The leaves and stems dry up eventually, but they don’t become so soft that the decor falls off.”

She added, “It looks like the plastic Christmas trees we buy there in the Philippines, only the leaves are softer. The trees are sold in different sizes. There are also those that have thicker leaves than others.”

Galon said Christmas in the Philippines is more festive because of a lot of things—the sound of kids singing Christmas carols on the streets for coins, the abundance of food in Filipino homes, the festive vibe in public places like malls, “and the traffic, too!”

Galon spent 10 years working in Dubai prior to meeting her husband, Arnel, and relocating to Guam.

“We celebrate Christmas here much like the way we do in the Philippines—we hear Mass, serve Filipino food, participate in games, and sing karaoke,” she said.

“We dress up and share food and gifts with family, friends, and coworkers. This year, I will again celebrate it with my husband and his family.” INQ