Summary
The Philippines has the world’s longest Christmas season — starting in September (“Ber months”) and running through to January; Filipinos in Australia bring this tradition with them, making the Filipino community some of the most enthusiastic Christmas celebrators in the country
The Philippine Christmas (Pasko) Festival at Darling Harbour, Sydney is the largest Filipino Christmas event in Australia — held every November at Tumbalong Park, hosted by the Philippine Community Council of NSW, with two days of music, food, cultural performances and community events; Pasko Australia 2026 dates expected in late November
Sending money home for Christmas is one of the most important transfers of the year — AUD to PHP mobile wallets (GCash) are fee-free with OrbitRemit; over 85% of transfers arrive within 2 hours
Ask any Filipino in Australia when Christmas starts and the answer will be September. The moment the calendar ticks into any month ending in “-ber” — September, October, November, December — Christmas songs start playing in Filipino households across Blacktown, Dandenong, Perth and Darwin. The parol (star-shaped lanterns) come out. The simbang gabi planning begins.
For the 412,000+ Filipino-born Australians, Pasko (Christmas) is not just a religious celebration — it is a cultural identity. It is the season that most distinctly marks who they are, even 22 hours from home.
This guide covers the traditions, the events and how to celebrate Pasko in Australia in 2026.
Why Filipinos celebrate Christmas so early
The Philippines is the largest Catholic country in Asia — one of only two predominantly Catholic countries on the continent, alongside East Timor — and it takes Christmas more seriously than almost anywhere else on Earth. The nine-day Simbang Gabi (a series of pre-dawn Catholic Masses, also called Misa de Gallo) begins on 16 December and runs through Christmas Eve — creating a build-up that most Australians experience only on Christmas morning itself.
The “Ber months” tradition — the informal start of the Christmas season in September — is deeply embedded in Filipino culture. It reflects both the long liturgical build-up to Christmas and the practical reality that Filipino families start preparing months in advance: buying gifts, planning noche buena (Christmas Eve feast), and organising family reunions that may involve flying relatives from overseas.
For Filipinos in Australia, the Ber months bring a bittersweet mix of celebration and homesickness. Community events, church gatherings, potlucks and Filipino-language Masses fill the gap left by being far from family in the Philippines.
Key Pasko traditions in the Filipino community
Simbang Gabi: Nine pre-dawn Masses (or evening Masses, in the Australian adaptation) held from 16-24 December. Almost every Catholic church with a Filipino community holds Simbang Gabi. It is followed by a communal feast of traditional Filipino food — puto bumbong (purple rice cake), bibingka (rice cake), champorado (chocolate rice porridge) and hot chocolate.
Parol: The traditional Filipino Christmas lantern — a star shape made from bamboo and coloured paper, lit from within. In the Philippines, parol light up entire streets. In Australia, they appear in Filipino community homes, churches and at Pasko festivals.
Noche Buena: The Christmas Eve feast — often more important than Christmas Day itself. Traditional dishes include lechon (roast pork), queso de bola (Edam cheese), ham, fruit salad and pandesal. Families celebrate at midnight after Simbang Gabi.
Media Noche: New Year’s Eve Filipino tradition — round fruits on the table (representing coins and prosperity), noise at midnight to drive away bad luck, and a feast with family.
Aguinaldo: Christmas gifts, often given to children and godchildren (inaanak). For Filipinos in Australia, aguinaldo frequently takes the form of sending money home to extended family in the Philippines.
Pasko events across Australia in 2026
2026 event dates will be announced by community organisations from October onwards. We will publish a full Pasko events guide for Australia in September. The one event you can count on every year:
Philippine Christmas (Pasko) Festival — Darling Harbour, Sydney
- Where: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney
- When: Late November (2025 was 29-30 November — 2026 dates announced in October)
- Organiser: Philippine Community Council of NSW (PCCNSW)
- What: Two days, free entry. Live OPM performances, Filipino food from dozens of stalls, parol-making contest, cultural exhibitions, Philippine government agency booths (passport renewals, NBI clearance, SSS, Pag-IBIG). The largest Filipino Christmas event in Australia.
- Confirm 2026 dates: pccnsw.org.au
Full 2026 Pasko events guide across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra coming in September.
What to cook for Pasko in Australia
If you are celebrating at home or contributing to a community potluck, these are the Pasko staples that Filipino-Australians make:
- Lechon: Roast pork — many Filipino butchers in Blacktown, Dandenong and Perth’s southern suburbs take orders for whole lechon leading up to Christmas
- Queso de bola: Edam cheese — available at Filipino grocery stores (Seafood City, Asian grocery stores in Blacktown and Dandenong)
- Puto bumbong: Purple rice cake — made in the weeks before Christmas; available at Filipino bakeries near Simbang Gabi
- Bibingka: Soft rice cake with coconut — another Simbang Gabi staple
- Fruit salad: A Filipino Christmas classic — mixed fruit with cream and condensed milk
- Ham: Filipino-style sweet ham (available at Asian grocery stores)
- Pancit: Noodles for long life — often served at every Filipino celebration
Sending money home to the Philippines for Pasko
Christmas is the single most important season for OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) remittances. Families in the Philippines rely on remittances from abroad to fund noche buena, buy gifts for children and cover aguinaldo for godchildren and extended family.
For Filipinos in Australia and New Zealand, a Christmas transfer home is one of the most meaningful financial acts of the year.
From Australia to the Philippines
- AUD to PHP GCash and mobile wallets: $0 fee-free
- AUD to PHP bank deposit: AUD $4 flat fee
- Fee-free above AUD $10,000 on all transfers
- Direct to BPI, BDO, Metrobank, PNB, UnionBank and all major Philippine banks
- GCash delivery — often the fastest; recipients can use GCash directly for purchases
- Over 85% of transfers arrive within 2 hours
From New Zealand to the Philippines
- NZD to PHP GCash and mobile wallets: NZD $4 flat fee
- NZD to PHP bank deposit: NZD $6 flat fee
- Fee-free above NZD $10,000 on all transfers
Christmas transfer tip: The weeks before Christmas (mid-November to mid-December) are peak remittance season for the Philippines corridor. Use OrbitRemit’s rate alert feature to time your transfer when the AUD/PHP or NZD/PHP rate is favourable — even small improvements in the rate can mean significantly more pesos arriving at the other end.
Fun facts: Pasko in Australia
- The Philippines has the world’s longest Christmas season — beginning in September and running through to January; no other country comes close
- Jingle Bells plays in Filipino households in September — the Ber months tradition is so strong that Filipino Australians will readily explain to confused Australian colleagues that yes, Christmas starts now
- Simbang Gabi in Australia is often held at night — the traditional pre-dawn Masses (Misa de Gallo) are adapted to evening times to accommodate Australian work schedules; the community gathering and food after Mass is just as important as the Mass itself
- Filipino parol are made from bamboo and tissue paper — the making of a parol is a family activity, often done with children in the weeks before Christmas; Australian Filipino community centres hold parol-making workshops
- Australia’s first Filipino Christmas celebration was in the 1970s — the Philippines community in Australia has been celebrating Pasko here for more than fifty years
FAQ’s (frequently asked questions)
When does Pasko (Christmas) start for Filipinos in Australia?
The festive season informally starts in September — the first of the “Ber months” — with community events beginning in October and November, Simbang Gabi running 16-24 December, and celebrations continuing through Media Noche (New Year’s Eve) and into January.
What is Simbang Gabi?
Simbang Gabi (Mass of the Rooster) is a series of nine pre-dawn Catholic Masses held from 16-24 December, traditionally beginning at 4am. In Australia, most Filipino Catholic communities hold these as evening Masses to accommodate work schedules. They are followed by communal Filipino food and community gathering.
Where is the biggest Filipino Christmas event in Australia?
The Philippine Christmas (Pasko) Festival at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney — hosted by the Philippine Community Council of NSW (PCCNSW) — is the largest Filipino Christmas event in Australia, typically held over two days in late November.
How do I send money to the Philippines for Christmas?
OrbitRemit supports fee-free AUD to PHP mobile wallet (GCash) transfers from Australia, and NZD $4 for GCash from New Zealand. AUD $4 for bank deposits from Australia. Visit orbitremit.com/philippines for current rates.
What is aguinaldo?
Aguinaldo is the Filipino tradition of giving Christmas money or gifts to children and godchildren. For Filipino-Australians, this often takes the form of sending money home to extended family and inaanak (godchildren) in the Philippines through remittance services like OrbitRemit.
This guide is for general information only. Festival event details are subject to change — always confirm with the organising community council before attending. Last updated July 2026.
Sources: Philippine Community Council of NSW — Philippine Christmas Festival | SBS Filipino — A Pinoy Christmas Down Under 2025 | Darling Harbour — Philippine Christmas Pasko Festival | Inner West Mums — Philippine Christmas Festival 2025 | OrbitRemit — Moving to Australia from the Philippines 2026
