As many Australians embark on Christmas festivities today, the nation’s Filipino community is winding down after one of the longest-running and most lively traditions in the world.
Simbang Gabi, or ‘night mass’, is a much-loved cornerstone of the Filipino calendar involving a nine-day celebration of church services, music, gratitude and food.
“According to my mother, [at] any celebration you’ve got to have sticky rice, because it glues people together,” said Vivien Hanrahan, president of the Mackay Filipino Australian Community Inc (MaFaCi).
Ms Hanrahan fondly remembers her youth in the Philippines, helping her mother begin Simbang Gabi preparations each October.
“She would make her own ham; my job was to keep turning the leg of ham once a week. It was very exciting,” she said.
Simbang Gabi in Mackay was celebrated with a single evening mass. (ABC NEWS: Liam McNally)
At Mackay in north Queensland — home to one of the state’s highest Filipino communities — Ms Hanrahan is still using her mum’s recipes for spring rolls, empanadas and ham glaze.
Traditionally, the religious event, which began in the 16th Century, was observed with a mass starting from 3am between December 16 and 24.
But in Mackay, a shortage of priests means only one mass was possible this year.
Embracing a new culture
Early days of life in Australia were often baffling for Ms Hanrahan when she arrived in North Queensland with her husband and young daughter in 1984.
She and husband Ted Hanrahan, who had been working in Hong Kong before moving to Mackay, were among the first wave of immigrants from the Philippines.
Music is integral to Simbang Gabi. (ABC NEWS: Liam McNally)
Adjusting to the Australian lifestyle took time.
Dinner at her parents-in-law’s home was strictly at 6:30pm.
“Everyone had their own plates instead of shared dishes,” she said.
The Aussie concept of a “couple of beers” was also confusing.
“Everyone was going to pubs on a Sunday. [Women] had to go to the lounge.
“I found out Australians didn’t know how to count at that time because they’d always say, ‘I’m just going to go and have a couple of drinks,'” she laughed.
“And two hours later, you’re still having a couple of drinks.”
Migration to Australia
The original Filipino migrants to Australia were the ‘Manilamen’ who arrived at Thursday Island, the Northern Territory and Broome as pearl divers from the 1870s.
The White Australia Policy in the early 1900s halted the next wave of Filipino immigration for decades.
The policy’s abolishment in the 1970s coincided with a period of martial law, economic downturn and emigration policies in the Philippines under then-president Ferdinand Marcos.
A shared meal is a core aspect of Simbang Gabi. (ABC NEWS: Liam McNally)
Arriving in Australia in the 1980s, the Hanrahans were among the first group of Filipino immigrants in Mackay, which she said included skilled workers and some so-called ‘mail order brides’.
For more than 40 years, Ms Hanrahan has seen the Filipino community grow in the regional city with waves of workers filling gaps in industries, including trades and healthcare.
Mackay’s modern Filipino community
Mackay, nearly 1,000 kilometres north of the state’s capital, boasts one of the highest Filipino populations in regional Queensland.
The Filipino community is the third largest migrant community in the city behind the English and New Zealanders, according to 2021 Census data.
Vic and Julyn Chunle Cavales are both nurses at the Mackay Hospital.
Mackay’s Simbang Gabi event was held at St Patrick’s church. (ABC NEWS: Liam McNally)
Ms Cavales said they chose Australia to build a secure life for the family and were drawn to Mackay for its similar weather to back home.
Although Mackay has a shortage of health care workers, she said the relocation was a long, “emotionally draining” ordeal largely due to VISA complications arising from her daughter Cheska’s Down syndrome.
“I’m not after the benefits [Cheska] can get from the government, I just want her to be safe,” Ms Cavales said.
The process meant the trio was living across three countries for seven years until reuniting in 2022 in Mackay, their new Australian hometown.
Last year, the Cavales family was granted citizenship.
“It’s worth everything that I’ve been through,” Ms Cavales said.
The Cavales family is reunited and enjoying life as Australian citizens. (Supplied)
Connection in a new home
Ms Hanrahan, along with the city’s MaFaCi group, helped Ms Cavales throughout the immigration process.
They reconnect at events like Simbang Gabi.
“I’m so happy to sing Filipino songs,” Ms Cavales said.
“Those are the songs children would sing in the streets … It brings back memories of childhood.”
Edwin and Dory Nones help organise Mackay’s Simbang Gabi with their chapter of Couples for Christ. (ABC NEWS: Liam McNally)
Dory Nones, who has been in Australia for almost 20 years and helped organise the event, said it was valuable for the expat community because it made Mackay feel more like home.
“We were lonely, we were missing home,” she said.
“As the years come, [our community] grew bigger and we started doing our traditions like Simbang Gabi and Independence Day.
“Eventually it grew, and we want to share it with others.”
