Since I was born, the spirit of our reunion in our clan hasn’t faded. Today was tiring because we took a lot of photos, ate food, and played games. However, the most important thing that I enjoyed was the money I received from my relatives. I can’t help but feel excited to share what happened during this festive and special reunion. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Pre-Preparation

Before we went to my late grandmother’s house, my mother prepared Pancit Malabon, Lumpiang Shanghai, and Puto. Meanwhile, my younger brother prepared his signature vinegar with other condiments. After we arrived at the house, we saw my cousin and uncle grilling pork and chicken. I was also surprised that my aunt, who also celebrated yesterday, bought two large metal canisters of ice cream.

Taking Photos

While waiting for more visitors from my mother’s side, we took family pictures. I also posed for solo shots at my aunt’s prepared set-up. Then, we took group photos as cousins using her iPhone.

Eating Lunch

After waiting, we finally ate our lunch. Basically, these foods were good for lunch until the evening. We even had take outs before we went home. For this celebration, we had Lumpiang Shanghai, Chicken Barbecue, Pork Chop, and Sisig for the dishes. For desserts, we had Bibingka, Turnip, Leche Flan, and Puto. My aunt also brought a cake to celebrate the holiday season. My mom’s Pancit Malabon also became a trending topic because of its deliciousness.

Videoke Contest

Once we finished eating, my aunt organized a contest like the one during my parents’ anniversary. But here’s the twist: whoever got a score of 100 would win ₱100. On the other hand, those who scored 90 and above would only win ₱50. Take note that it was unlimited tries, and it ended at 3 p.m., I think.

After my first try, I immediately got the highest score. My relatives always make fun of me because I always get high scores on the videoke. There’s nothing new, you know. Meanwhile, my sibling seemed bitter since he attempted seven times just to get a score of 95. I earned ₱200 for the contest plus ₱100 from December 23, which gave me a competitive edge.

Full Photos

Before we proceeded to the games, we took group photos. First, they took pictures of our clan’s siblings who were not wasted. Then, they captured photos together with their spouses. My aunt from the left side was already widowed, so one of her twins participated instead. Then, we took group photos from our cousins’ side. After ensuring that we had remembrances per batch, we took photos altogether.

Parlor Games

Of course, we couldn’t complete this reunion without funny games.

Bring Me

This game is simple but considered a classic parlor game. The rule is simple: you need to get the item first based on the announcer’s request. I think I won 4–5 times here and the prize was ₱50 per win. This means I got around ₱200–₱250.

Trip to Jerusalem

After three sessions of “Bring Me,” we also proceeded to the game that never misses our reunion. Unfortunately, I got eliminated in the first round, and the best of three would win.

Hep Hep Hooray

This is also a basic game that became popular during the 2010s and is still alive today. The game was also best of three, and I was included in the Top 3.

Garter Escape Challenge

This interactive activity had three versions meant for young kids, teens to young adults, and older adults. It is like Trip to Jerusalem, but the rule is that you should escape the garter immediately after the song stops. Unfortunately, when it was my turn, I lost in the second round.

Pink, Blue, White Challenge

I don’t know the exact term for this game, where two sets of games occurred. The mechanics are simple: you need to step on the designated colors. For example, if the host says pink, you should step on that line. As the game continued, they changed the color choices. Since it became more tiring as no one wanted to lose, they just gave the win to four of us.

Cup Collect Challenge

As usual, I don’t know the exact term again. This game was only for older adults, where they needed to spin around the table with cups. A song would play in the background and you needed to get the cup immediately after it stopped. Whoever failed to secure a cup every round would be eliminated.

Prizes

Aguinaldos from My Relatives

After those games, my aunts and uncles gave us money inside envelopes. Some of them were given manually based on who was present. We also received a handy keychain rechargeable light as a souvenir.

Miscellaneous Prizes

My aunt also organized a program where the biggest weight loss would win. I don’t know why I only got 2 kilos of weight loss, even though the difference between March 2025 and yesterday is so obvious. Therefore, I lost the top three spots and didn’t want to argue further. I also failed to get the prize for those relatives who liked my aunt’s TikTok videos often. On top of that, I also failed to greet my aunt on the group chat.

Total Prizes

If we compute my wins from yesterday and my mom’s anniversary, I got a total of ₱3,900🧿. I’m planning to use that money to pay my subscription services, debts on Shopee, and save for church purposes. The remaining amount is for my savings, of course. So far, that’s the only thing I’m planning to spend on since I promised that I will be financially responsible. I learned it the hard way!