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MetroStyle Exclusive: Nadia Montenegro on Christmas Traditions and Coping With Missing a Loved One During the Holidays

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1734424065469452356432_18454297468013384_6334972078278598655_n.jpg" style="width:1080px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @officialnadiam</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Christmas is a season of giving and celebrating milestones. It’s one of the, if not the most, awaited holidays across the globe. And with Christmas coming up, everyone is wrapped up in shopping for gifts, planning the <em>Noche Buena</em> menu, and attending holiday parties and family dinners.</p><p>Actress, author, and caterer <strong>Nadia Montenegro </strong>is no rookie when it comes to planning Christmas parties. Having a big family with eight children has somehow trained her to be great at holiday preparations.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4zNzAdyZkA/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A20997262.400000006%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="561" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>One unique tradition they have as a family is the “<strong>Noche Buena sa Kalsada</strong>” where from 6 PM to 11 PM, with their vehicles filled with food, they feed the homeless people along EDSA until there’s no food left in their trunks. Nadia shares, “So we&#x27;ve been doing that for 30 years and we&#x27;re going to do that again this year on a bigger scale and then we all come home for <em>Noche Buena</em> and then we all eat together and then open our gifts.” Their family has been doing this since the 1990s.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1EY6hbLj4u/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A21317085.700000018%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="969" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmS3VyKSb1A/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A22452310.100000024%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>A non-negotiable tradition they have as a family is when they have to celebrate all together every December 24, Christmas Eve. “<em>O</em>, <em>basta ‘pag</em> Christmas Eve, <em>sa‘kin</em>, <em>nandito kayo </em>[her children]<em></em>. I don&#x27;t care <em>kung nasaan kayo</em> the whole year, or whatever, <em>pero</em> 24, <em>tayo</em> [<em>ang</em>] <em>magkakasama</em>,” she tells <strong>Metro.Style</strong>. <strong></strong>Though some of her children have their own families already, they never fail to reserve that special day for the family to come together.</p><p>According to Nadia, their Christmas planning is a month-long preparation because of how big of a family they have. They use a checklist for potluck, games, program, sponsors, and the like. “We&#x27;ve already prepared for the games. <em>Ang</em> budget <em>nandiyan na lahat</em>, prizes, collection,” Nadia says. “One month ahead <em>pa lang</em>, we’ve already collected our own shares <em>para sa </em>games. <em>Kumpleto ’yan</em>. <em>Mayroong magdadala ng lechon</em>, <em>’yung isa naman</em>, Mama <em>ko</em>, let&#x27;s say, turkey. <em>Ako naman</em>, let&#x27;s say, callos. So, it&#x27;s all <em>gano’n</em>, all the time. <em>Kahit ’yung mga pamangkin kong nasa </em>States, <em>magpapadala ’yan ng </em>potluck <em>nila</em>.<em></em>”</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm1pZKlrhvP/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A22500728.700000018%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="611" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>This year is a bit similar yet different for Nadia’s family. Similar because of the traditions they continue to uphold, but at the same time, different because of having Ava, her granddaughter, around. She says, “We have Ava, <em>ang aking ka-isa-isang apo</em>. So it&#x27;s just more special now with her. This year, since two years old <em>na ’yung apo ko ay talagang pina</em>-decorate <em>ko</em> [’<em>yung</em>] <em>buong bahay</em>. I wanted her to experience it.”</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DA-GGp_TAOZ/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A23285457%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1014" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>She continues, “For a while, it was very lonely <em>kasi</em> we didn&#x27;t want to celebrate Christmas because <em>wala naman </em>[<em>ang</em>] daddy <em>nila</em>. And it was different <em>talaga</em> because when their dad was here, even <em>’yung mga kapatid nila</em>, <em>magkakasama sila</em>, <em>gano&#x27;n sila karami</em>. So <em>talagang marami</em> [<em>ang</em>] <em>nabago no’ng nawala si</em> Boy. But we try to keep it <em>pa rin</em>, especially for the kids.” </p><p>After her partner Macario “Boy” Asistio Jr.’s passing in 2017, it has been a lonely Christmas for the family because Boy is their family clown and the “godfather” who would be so giving to the kids. According to her, Boy would always be so generous, he’s the ”cash-giver” while Nadia is the one who buys material gifts. He would request more games and more singing as forms of bonding. Nadia shares, “So, <em>ganu’n talaga.</em> We miss him every day. We get the Christmas blues but <em>maraming </em>memories <em>pa rin</em>, <em>pero</em> he&#x27;s always with us <em>naman</em>.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-10" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CulEXlqLyF1/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A10%2C%22os%22%3A23046172.800000012%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="567" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-10" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>When it comes to missing a loved one during the holidays, Nadia shares a tip on how to cope with it: “I guess, make the most of it because if he was here, it would be the happiest. I always ask myself, if Boy was here, what would he have done? Because Boy would always be the most fair. He would always be the one who would make everybody happy. So, <em>na</em>-adapt <em>ko ’yon sa kanya</em>. And, I guess this is also what he would want—for everybody to just enjoy and give. It has to be giving <em>talaga</em>. That&#x27;s one thing he taught us. You have to give.”</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Lead photo by <strong>@turnkeystudios_</strong> from <strong>@officialnadiam</strong></p>

Nadia Montenegro on Christmas Traditions and Coping With Missing a Loved One During the Holidays

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Nadia Montenegro on Christmas Traditions and Coping With Missing a Loved One During the Holidays

Tricia Matias

Published December 17, 2024 05:00 PM PHT

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Updated December 17, 2024 05:36 PM PHT

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