Creating a Simple Yet Holy Belen at Our Chapel: Building Memories with Family, Churchmates and Indigenous Materials Together

December is always a special month for us as Filipino Catholics. This year, we began our Simbang gabi celebrations with a very meaningful activity, making our Chapels Belen. I had the joy of participating alongside my co-churchmates and my daughter, which made the day even more memorable.

We decided to keep our Belen simple, sustainable, and holy. Using indigenous materials, we aimed to cerate something beautiful without extravagance. Our plan was to make a pyramid-shaped Belen using bamboo sticks and carton, and we would reuse the Christmas lights from last year to illuminate it. The focus was on teamwork, faith and creating lasting memories, rather than perfection.

The activity began with assembling the bamboo sticks to form the pyramid’s base and structure. It required patience and cooperation, a s everyone helped hold pieces in place and ensured the frame was stable. My daughter was excited to participate, holding sticks, arranging materials, and learning how to work together with others. There was laughter, gentle teasing and encouraging words as we all worked side by side.

After the frame was ready, we covered parts of it with carton, shaping the walls and base for nativity figures, Carefully, we arranged Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus we will put on Dec 24, placing the shepherds and animals around the table. Everyone contributed, whether by adjusting and securing materials and it was amazing to see how our efforts came together beautifully.

The final step was adding the Christmas lights. We draped them around the pyramid, making sure each figure was highlighter. When the lights were switched on, the Belen lowed warmly, creating a festive and holy atmosphere that made all the hard work feel worthwhile.

What made this activity truly special was helping each other. Seeing couples work together, children excitedly participating and churchmates cooperating reminded me that the Belen is more them decoration. It is a symbol of love and unity. In just 2 hours, we completed our simple but meaningful Belen, a centerpiece for our Simbang gabi and a lasting memory of devotion and family.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my story! I hope it brought a joy and inspiration to your day. I would love to see your Chapel Belen too, so feel free to share it in this community. In my next post, I will be sharing our Belen Contest outside the chapel, and I can’t wait to show you all the beautiful creations from our community. Let’s continue celebrating this joyful season together!

Photo edited through Canva.