Parol Making Kit Available

San Francisco – Thinking of saving money this Christmas on your decoration budget? Would you want to share Filipino Christmas tradition with your friends and relatives in the United States ? Would want to see something Filipino iconic item in your décor at home or in your office?

Why not make your own parol lantern? Parol is a five-point star that is made of Philippine bamboo, papel de japon (tissue o rice paper) and cellophane. The parol lantern is a symbol of hope, blessings and peace.

Don’t worry about supplies; they are now available in the U.S. and can be ordered at the Bayanihan Community Center (on 1010 Mission Street in South of Market in San Francisco ), online at  http://bayanihancc.org/parol2011/build_parol.html, or at 415-348-8042.  You can also get tutorial and how-to-tips in building your own parol.

In San Francisco , the Filipino community celebrates the annual Parol lantern Festival and Parade annually.  This is the 9th edition which was started in 2003 and has become a must-see event during the holiday season in San Francisco. 

The parol making activity brings people and community together. As an art and craft imported from the Philippine Christmas tradition, the Parol Festival is an effective vehicle in promoting Filipino culture and creativity.  

The festival begins with a series of parol lantern-making workshops held at the Bayanihan Community Center ( 1010 Mission St. on 6th Street), every Friday night from 5:30 pm to 8:00 p.m. and in other community centers. The parol making workshop is open to the public.

The largest public event, which features the culminating activities of the Parol Festival, is held on Saturday, December 10, 2011, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Yerba Buena Lane , Jessie Square and St. Patrick’s Church. There will be a parol stroll, a pageant of brightly lit lanterns made by participating contingents who are vying for the Tala Awards. The theme for this year’s Tala Awards is Pag-Asa: Bright visions for the future. Pag-asa means hope in Tagalog. 

Each year, the South of Market neighborhood and Filipino community showcase the parol lanterns - the quintessential Filipino symbol of hope, blessings, luck, peace, and light during the holiday season - and brighten the Jessie Square , Yerba Buena Lane and Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Street .  

The San Francisco Annual Parol Lantern Festival and Parade is organized and presented by the Filipino American Development Foundation, Bayanihan Community Center , Kularts and supported by the Grants for the Arts, MJM Management, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, St. Patrick’s Parish, Western Union and ABS-CBN International. For more information, please contact Parol Festival at 415-348-8042, email parolsf@gmail.com or visit www.bayanihancc.org.