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Simbang Gabi had just begun today, December 16, and Catholics all over the world made the sacrifice of waking up before dawn to hear mass. This devotional nine-day series of masses is from December 16 until December 24, Christmas Eve. The last Simbang Gabi is called Misa de Gallo, which translates to Rooster's Mass in Spanish.

Photo by: Marcelo Chagas (Pexels)

The tradition of attending the Simbang Gabi has been practiced by Filipinos since the Spanish occupation. Originally, it was held before dawn as consideration for farmers who had to begin work before sunrise. Now, most of us wake up early for Simbang Gabi and consider it as a sacrifice we're willing to make as Catholics.

However, even if Simbang Gabi had long been part of our Christmas traditions, there are still some who do not know how to observe proper behavior during mass.

Just a day ago, Kapuso star Aiai Delas Alas reposted a humor-infused reminder from Katolikong Pinoy on Instagram. The post cited five things that people shouldn't do during Simbang Gabi and Misa de Gallo. Read on to find out if you're guilty of doing these things during Simbang Gabi.

Photo by: msaiaidelasalas and katolikongpinoy (IG)

1) Simbang Tabi

Photo by: Tirachard Kumtanom (Pexels)

This is pertaining to couples who attend Simbang Gabi and turn it into a date. Most of the time, you'll see them seated outside of the actual church, and are not paying attention to the mass at all. Worse, some of them are even packing on the PDA.

Why It's Wrong: It's already wrong to not focus on the mass, but being touchy-feely inside the house of God is another level of disrespect.

What You Should Do Instead: If you want to spend time with your bf or gf, then set an actual date. Don't do it during Simbang Gabi.

2) Simbang Landi

Photo by: mentatdgt-330508 (Pexels)

This is similar to number one, but a little bit subtler. Simbang Landi means someone is motivated to attend Simbang Gabi because he or she wants to meet someone new to flirt with. And some actually try to flirt during mass.

Why It's Wrong: We attend mass to hear God's words and not to hear someone dictate their cellphone number or their Facebook and Instagram handle.

What You Should Do Instead: It's best to just refrain from doing this altogether. If you meet someone interesting after mass -unexpectedly- then that's good. But don't go to Simbang Gabi with the intention to actually make a move on someone.

3) Simbang Kuda

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Simbang Kuda is when someone seems to be having their very own talk show while the mass is ongoing.

Why It's Wrong: It's the priest and lector who should be doing the talking during mass. We are there to hear the Gospel, sing praises about God, and respond when asked by the reader; not to chat about our neighbor who's having an affair. Moreover, it can be really distracting and annoying for others, if we talk non-stop while the mass is ongoing.

What You Should Do Instead: Don't engage in unnecessary conversation during mass. Reserve all the stories for later, maybe after mass while you have breakfast.

4) Simbang Sine

Photo by: ton70 (Flickr)

This is similar to number two, but the difference is their motivation. People who commit Simbang Sine are those who leave even before the mass is done, for a plethora of reasons: they're sleepy, hungry, or wants to be first in line to buy bibingka or puto bumbong. Some think that once the priest's sermon is done, they can already leave. This, of course, is not right.

Why It's Wrong: If we hear mass, we must be there from start to finish -yes, up until the final song.

What You Should Do Instead: Stay until the very end of the mass. What difference will a few minutes make? If you hate going through the sea of people leaving the church after mass, then sit for a while, and wait until most of them have already left.

5) Simbang Jeje

Photo by: rgsk97 (Pexels)

If number three is about people having their own talk show during mass, number five, Simbang Jeje, is about people who make the church aisle their runway.

Why It's Wrong: We do not attend mass to flaunt our clothes or to be the center of attention. God should be the main focus, not you.

What You Should Do Instead: Dress modestly. It's okay to look nice, but make sure you're not wearing anything too sexy or flashy.

We hope the guilty ones have read this and have become enlightened. We're not saying you're sinning worse than most of us. Yes, we're all sinners, and maybe the least we could do to repent is behave properly when we are in the presence of God. All we're saying is that there's a right place for everything. Avoid the five things we've discussed above and make others' Simbang Gabi experience -and yours as well--a solemn and meaningful one.