Filipinos around the world hold one Christmas symbol above the rest: the parol, a traditional ornamental lantern that adorns streets, homes, malls and buildings in the Philippines.
The lantern is typically star-shaped and symbolizes “the triumph of light over darkness, joy and hope,” says Raquel Redondiez, director of SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District.
Illustrations of different types of Filipino parols.
The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.
Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.
Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.
Materials include beads, glass, shells,
feathers and upcycled plastic. Some
communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.
Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.
Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.
Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.
The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.
Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.
Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.
Materials include beads, glass, shells,
feathers and upcycled plastic. Some
communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.
Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.
Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.
Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.
The most common parol represents the Star of Bethlehem and is traditionally made with bamboo sticks and paper.
Many parols incorporate bright hues and Christmas colors.
Some elaborate lanterns have long tails, tassles or paper scallops.
Materials include beads, glass, shells, feathers and upcycled plastic. Some communities typically use dried leaves, seeds, vines and twigs.
Some artisans create intricate and pricey parols with capiz shells, the translucent oyster shells commonly found in waters around the Philippines.
Sizes range from ornaments small enough to hang on Christmas trees to 20-footers showcased in festivals.
Parols were once lit with candles and gas lamps. Now some have electric lights that dance to Christmas tunes.
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The lanterns’ roots predate the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 16th century, says Giselle Tongi-Walters, executive director for the Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture, better known as FilAm Arts.
In ancient times, the lanterns were a symbol of hospitality. Travelers who saw one hanging in a home’s open window at night knew they were welcome to seek refuge there, according to “The Parol Story,” a presentation by FilAm Arts board member and artist Eliseo Art Silva.
Under the rule and religious influence of Spain, star-shaped lanterns on bamboo poles lit the way to early morning mass. “There’s so many layers to the symbolism of parol, and it means something different for everyone,” said Redondiez.
The tradition is so important in Filipino American communities that they have created parol festivals in the United States, including in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they also pass on the art of parol-making through workshops.
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Here’s how you can make your own parol
Illustrated steps on how to make your own parol.
What you need
Five 2-inch
bamboo sticks
10 15-inch
bamboo sticks or
any pliable wood
15 rubber
bands
Glue gun and
glue sticks
Three 16x23-inch sheets of colored tissue paper
All-purpose
glue
Start by creating one star
Arrange four sticks into
two V shapes and tie the ends together with rubber bands.
Cross the Vs and tie the top point.
Lay a stick across the
remaining points and
tie the ends with
rubber bands.
Use hot glue to join the points where the wood intersects.
Make a second star and join the two together
Star 2 is
directly
above it
Star 1 is
the base
Use hot glue to attach a short stick on each points of the pentagon on the first star.
Dab hot glue on top of the short sticks and attach the second star. Let the glue dry.
Tie the points together
with rubber bands.
Wrap your star in paper
Apply glue on
the wood
Apply all-purpose glue
to the outer surface of the pentagon.
Cut your paper into
two 6x6-inch strips
and 20 4x6-inch strips.
Glue 4x6-inch strips to the
triangle panels until this
side is covered. Flip the
star and do the other side.
Stick the 6x6-inch strip
on the pentagon. After
the glue dries, trim the
excess paper.
Finish off by gluing 4x6-inch
strips on side panels.
The tail is optional, but
here’s an easy way to add one
You’ll need:
Two rubber
bands
Two 16x23-inch sheets
of colored tissue paper
Cut around 40 1x16-inch strips of paper.
Make two bundles and tie one end with a rubber band. Fluff them to give the tail volume.
Use the string to attach the tails to
the two bottom corner of your star.
What you need for the star
Five 2-inch
bamboo sticks
10 15-inch sticks
of bamboo or
any pliable wood
Three 16x23-inch
sheets of colored
tissue paper
Glue gun
and glue
sticks
15 rubber
bands
All-purpose
glue
Start by creating one star
Lay a stick across the
remaining points and
tie the ends with
rubber bands.
Arrange four sticks into two V shapes and tie the ends together with rubber bands.
Cross the Vs and tie the top point.
Use hot glue to join the points where the wood intersects.
Make a second star and join the two together
Star 2 is directly
above it
Star 1 is
the base
Use hot glue to attach a short stick on each points of the pentagon on the first star.
Dab hot glue on top of the short sticks and attach the second star. Let the glue dry.
Tie the points together
with rubber bands.
Wrap your star in paper
Apply glue on
the wood
Cut your paper into two
6x6-inch strips and 20
4x6-inch strips.
Stick the 6x6-inch strip
on the pentagon. After
the glue dries, trim the
excess paper.
Apply all-purpose glue
to the outer surface of the pentagon.
Glue 4x6-inch strips to the
triangle panels until this side
is covered. Flip the star and do
the other side.
Finish off by gluing
4x6-inch strips on
side panels.
A tail is optional, but here’s an easy way to add one
You’ll need:
Two rubber
bands
Two 16x23-inch
sheets of colored
tissue paper
Make two bundles and tie one end with a rubber band. Fluff them to give the tail volume.
Use the string to attach
the tails to the two bottom
corners of your star.
Cut around 40 1x16-inch strips of paper.
Your parol can be as simple or wild as you’d like, whatever matches your style and skills. Ciriaco Sayoc, an artist based in San Francisco, has crafted his own parol style using interlocking wooden pieces inspired by traditional wooden boats and featuring the sunburst rattan weave.
Transforming the parol into something new, he said, is a nod to his Filipino culture, a tribute to his grandfather, and a way to showcase his growth as an artist. “There’s that memory of me working with my grandfather, watching him make the parol,” Sayoc said. “So when it came to this, I thought, how can I take this and make it my own?”
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He hopes that every parol “brings everyone a sense of joy, the sense of happiness that we as a people exude. When you see one and it’s lighting up, there’s this warm feeling. I think that’s what I want people to walk away with.”
Make your own parol to bring a little more warmth to your home this holiday season.
About this story
Sources for this piece are “Christmas in the Philippines” by World Book Inc., “A Parol Story” by Eliseo Art Silva and the “How to make a parol” Instagram reel by Fatima Uy.
Editing by Chiqui Esteban and Bonnie Berkowitz. Copy editing by Anjelica Tan.
Hannah Dormido has fond memories of Christmases in the Philippines, so she wanted to make a parol for her home. She learned the craft in elementary school but needed a refresher on how it’s done. While researching, she learned about the festivals celebrated by the Filipino American communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles, which inspired her to work on this story.
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