It's 2018, you have been living away from your home for almost two decades; and all of a sudden, you waged a comeback in a snap – and just in time for Christmas.
That, apparently, is the story behind the return of the legendary Christmas on display to its original home, Cubao. Yes, after 16 years of staging alongside Greenhills Shopping Center, it's back! Just imagine when you were a kid in the mid-90s, and you're with your mother watching those puppets and mannequins cosplaying then-popular characters alongside either Mama Mary or Santa Claus during those weekend nights.
Of course, for all the '80s and '90s (or even those in the '70s) babies, the Christmas On Display was the annual Yuletide gimmick, made on a five-story building that houses the Manila COD department store in Cubao Panorama.
It's amazing to notice that the creation of Alex Rosario, owner of the now-defunct COD department store, has now become a staple item for the Holidays for already 61 years. Also, imagine that numerous pop culture items and concepts such as Star Wars and Curiosity on Mars crossed paths with the usual Bethlehem or Nativity figures. It was a nightly spectacle that has been seen by people from different walks and ages, with themes varying with relevance from one year to another.
When COD closed shop in 2002, Ortigas family offered Greenhills as its home; keeping the tradition alive amidst the growing times of technology and rapid urbanization. And just this past November, the arrival of the six-decades-running legacy is now back in its home for 36 years.
It turned out to be the mix of the old and new Cubao traditions, especially with the always-iconic giant Christmas Tree displayed in its new location – just beside the Araneta Center Bus Terminal; serving as a perfect salubong haven for anyone who will travel in and out of the Metropolis.
Of course, the modern-era food banchetto mixes up with the always-classic perya or carnival rides inside this large space that was intended for parking during the regular days of the year.
But it is clear that the highlight of this park is the live life-size moving diorama that embodies the plot of this theme “Christmas is Home.” It might be a bit short of a program but it conveys the message really, really well. Indeed, a feel-good show for every visitor. There's no need to be so critical here, amidst the perceived over-development of the entire complex.
Damn, for barely an hour, I felt like I'm that kid again standing with his mom, awestruck in 1995.
For everyone who craves for nostalgia, this is a must-drop by venue today!
Araneta Center's Christmas on Display (C.O.D.) takes centerstage every night from 6:30PM and it runs until 10:30PM every Sunday to Thursdays, and 11:30PM on each Fridays and Saturdays of the week. The program will run until 6 January 2019. Grand Fireworks display will be also taking place on Fridays to Sundays, as well as the New Year's Day.
The Araneta Center's COD is located at Gen. Roxas Avenue (within the compound of the Araneta Center Bus Terminal and nearby Manhattan Garden City), Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.
Author: slickmaster | © 2018 The SlickMaster's Files
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