TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MAGAZINE COVERS

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MAGAZINE COVERS

 

          I tagged it “Traditional Christmas” because most of us know that December 25 is not really the day of birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s the wrong day, month and year of beginning. Christmas around the world, however, have been observed for centuries on this day.

          Daily, weekly and monthly publications follow the same tradition, and their covers speak of the annual event.

          Here are some Philippine magazines with Christmas as the theme or part of the layout of the covers.

          This one, as of this posting, is 71 years old. The Christmas issue of Daigdig (Ang Dating Hiwaga) featuring Tita Duran (Teresita Rigo Durango, 1929-1991), and Jose Perez Vera.

Daigdig (Ang Dating Hiwaga), December 16, 1947.

          The post-war magazine The Philippine Screen Glamour feauring on its front cover, Pancho Magalona (Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr, 1923-1998) and Tita Duran, and on the back cover, the film Ang Pagsilang ng Mesiyas (The Birth of the Messiah, 1952).

The Philippine Screen Glamour, December 1952

 

          The “Christmas Three” issue of Kislap Graphic featuring the top three young stars of the era, Amalia Fuentes, Barbara Perez and Susan Roces.

Kislap Graphic, December 19, 1956

          Topstar Pip Movie Entertainment Magazine, featuring Tirso “Pip” Cruz III and the love team of Edgar Mortiz and Vilma Santos.

Topstar Pip Movie Entertainment Magazine Vol. 1 No. 3, December 28, 1970

 

 

          This Sixteen issue (Vol. 4 No. 112, December 29, 1972), with the young Vilma Santos on the front cover, says it also in different language on its cover

Sixteen Vol. 4 No. 112, December 29, 1972

          After a decade or so, Sixteen became Sixteen MOD, and then MOD Filipina. Here are two succeeding issues for Christmas of 1988 featuring Shelley Huchel and Heidi Rodriguez.

MOD Filipina Vol. 21 Nos. 902 and 903, December 16 and 23, 1988

          Two Christmas issues of Celebrity World featuring Sunshine Cruz (1994) and Congressman Joaquin Nereo and his wife Uliran (1995).

Celebrity World Vol. 3 No. 177, December 26, 1994 and Vol. 4 No. 228, December 25, 1995

          Mr. & Ms. 1994 Christmas issue featuring Dawn Zulueta.

Mr. & Ms. Vol. 18 No. 35, December 20, 1994

          Mr. & Ms. most often featured a family photo on it’s Christmas issue covers such as these: Paco Arespacochaga and Geneva Cruz and their daughter Heaven (1996) and Jomari Yllana and Aiko Melendez and their son Andre (1998). Ironically and unfortunately, however, both relationships ended up in separations.

Mr. & Ms. Vol. 20 No. 34, December 24, 1996 and Vol. 22 No.34, December 22, 1998

 

          Here is Mr. & Ms. unique Christmas-New Year issue featuring Gary Valenciano, his wife, Angeli Pangilinan, and their children, Gabriel, Paolo and Keana.

Mr. & Ms. Vol. 25 No. 36, December 25, 2001 – January 1, 2002

 

          Atlas TV Guide (initially titled TV Star), started circulation on December 1999, with its first cover featuring Titanic’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. As such it may not distinctively had the Christmas theme on its cover except for a few Yuletide symbols.

Atlas TV Guide first issue, December 1999

Atlas TV Guide December issues (2000, 2002 and 2005)

Atlas TV Guide December issues (2006, 2007 and 2008)



Atlas TV Guide December issues (2010, 2011 and 2012)



 

          MOD 1999 Christmas issue with The World is Not Enough lead actress Sophie Marceau on the cover as “Christmas Girl.”

MOD December 1999

          More MOD 2004, 2005 and 2006 Christmas issues featuring Rica Peralejo, Iya Villania and Judy Ann Santos.

MOD Vol. 36 No. 1732 (December 24, 2004), Vol. 37 No. 1783 (December 23, 2005)

and Vol. 38 No. 1829 (December 25, 2006)



 

          Apart from its Christmas issues, MOD also releases “Christmas Specials” such as the two below, featuring Charo Ronquillo (2005) and Ann Rhea Macapagal (2006).

MOD Christmas Special issues for 2005 and 2006

           Finally for MOD, it’s last two Christmas issues, featuring Kimberly Baculi (2011) and Judy Ann Santos (2012).

MOD December 2011 and December 2012

 

 

          Two succeeding Christmas issues of the popular Ilocano magazine, Bannawag, featuring Zaijan Jaranilla (2011) and Angel Locsin (2012).

Bannawag, December 26, 2011 and December 24, 2012

January 6



January 6

Liwayway, Enero 6, 1969
Tampok sa harapang pabalat si Amalia Fuentes,
at sa likurang pabalat si Gina Pareño (para sa Esso Gaas Kerosene print ad)

 

Enero 6 sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas

          Ang El Eco de Vigan, ang unang pahayagang inilimbag sa labas ng Manila, ay lumabas sa sirkulasyon noong Enero 6, 1884.

                                                          o     O     o

          Ang Nilad Lodge, na tinatawag ding “Logia Central y Delegada,” ang kauna-unahang Masonic lodge sa Pilipinas ay itinatag noong Enero 6, 1892, sa ilalim ng pamumuno nina Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Moises Salvador at Jose Ramos.

                                                          o     O     o

          Noong Enero 6, 1989, naganap ang tinaguriang “Zamboanga Massacre.” Binihag ng Muslim dissident na si Rizal Alih si General Eduardo Batalla at iba pang mga hostages. Ito ay naging dahilan ng isang madugong paglalaban. Sinasabing gumamit ang militar at mga pulis ng malabis na puwersa o overkill na naging dahilan ng pagkasawi ng maraming tao kabilang na si General Batalla at ang kaniyang aide na si Colonel Romeo Abendan. Nakatakas si Alih sa nasabing encounter.

                                                          o     O     o

          Si Romi Garduche ay naging kauna-unahang Filipino na nakaakyat sa ituktok ng pitong pinakamataas na bundok sa pitong sangkalupaan (Seven summits of the seven continents) noong Enero 6, 2012, nang marating niya ang tuktok ng Vinson Massif, ang pinakamataas na bundok sa Antarctica.

          Ang iba pang mga bundok na naakyat ni Garduche, ayon sa pagkakasunud-sunod:

          Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (pinakamataas sa Africa), September 2000.

          Mount Aconcagua, Argentina (pinakmataas sa South America), January, 2005.

          Mount Everest, Nepal-Tibet (pinakamataas sa Asia at sa buong daigdig), May 19, 2006.

          Mount Elbrus, Russia (pinakamataas sa Europe), August 25, 2007.

          Mount Denali, Alaska (pinakamataas sa North America), June 6, 2008.

          Mount Kosciuszko (pinakamataas sa Australia), January 2009.

                                                          o     O     o

 

Ang Totoo Tungkol sa Tatlong Hari

          Alam niyo ba na wala namang nabanggit sa Bibliya tungkol sa sinasabing “Tatlong Hari” o “Three Kings?” Sa Ebangelyo Ayon Kay Mateo (Gospel According to Matthew), sinasabing nang ipanganak ang Panginoong Jesus, “ang mga pantas na lalaki (wise men) ay nagsidating sa Jerusalem mula sa silanganan.....” (Matthew 2:1). Hindi sinabing sila ay mga hari; hindi rin binanggit kung ilan sila. Ang nabanggit ay “inihandog nila sa Kaniya (sa Panginoong Jesus) ang mga alay na ginto at kamangyan at mira.” (Matthew 2:11). Sa tatlong alay na ito nagmula ang pagsapantaha na tatlo sila. Iniuugnay rin ito sa mga hula (prophecies) sa Lumang Tipan (Old Testaments) tungkol sa Panginoong Jesus katulad ng mababasa sa mga Aklat ng Mga Awit (Book of Psalms): “Ang mga hari sa Tharsis, at sa mga pulo... ang mga hari sa Sheba at Seba ay mangaghahandog ng mga kaloob. Oo, lahat ng mga hari ay magsisiyukod sa harap Niya.....” (Psalms 72:10-11), subalit ang tinutukoy rito ay hindi “tatlong hari” kundi sa pangkalahatan.

                                                          o     O     o

Isang ilustrasyon ng sinasabing “Tatlong Hari”
na iginuhit ni Francisco V. Coching
tampok sa taklob-pahina ng
Tagalog Klasiks (Enero 12, 1963)

          Hindi rin tamang tawagin silang “Tatlong Mago” (Three Magi). Sapagkat ang magi (singular – magus) ayon sa Bibliya ay mga manggagaway (sorcerers). Ilan sa mga halimbawang ibinigay ng Bibliya ay sina Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-24) at Elymas (na tinawag ding Bar-Jesus, Acts 13:6-11). Sa kasaysayan, ang tradisyon ng mga magi ay mula sa paganong relihiyong Zoroastrianism.

                                o     O     o

          Ang mga pangalang Melchor, Gaspar at Balthasar, na iniuugnay rin sa “Tatlong Hari,” ay mga kathang-isip lamang ng mga manunulat at hindi rin matatagpuan sa Bibliya.

                                o     O     o

 

Pinoy personalities and celebrities born on January 6:

1812 – Melchora Aquino, considered as the “Mother of the Philippine Revolution” and known as “Tandang Sora” – in Caloocan. (d. March 2, 1919)

1936 – Nida Blanca (real name Dorothy Acueza Jones), multi-award-winning actress – in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. (d. November 7, 2001).

Nida Blanca

on the cover of Kislap Graphic (August 1, 1956).

 

1948 – Marissa Delgado (real name Epifania Adoracion Boyle), actress and model – in Manila.

1951 – Val Iglesia (full name Baltazar Iglesia), actor – in Manila.

1966 – Sharon Gamboa Cuneta, singer and actress – in Pasay City.



Sharon Cuneta
on the cover of Celebrity World (May 8, 1995)

 

Marissa Delgado,
one of “The Girls of the Orient”
(Inside Playboy, December 1968).

Picture Trivia
          Award-winning actress Marissa Delgado (real name Epifania Adoracion Boyle) was the first Filipina featured nude inside the pages of Playboy. This was in the December 1968 Playboy USA issue that featured “The Girls of the Orient.”

Playboy USA (December 1968)
with Cynthia Myers on the cover.

                             o     O     o