Have a Joyous, Restorative Holiday Season!

Wherever you are, whatever your beliefs, we wish you all a joyous and enchanting season with your family and friends of choice.

Who doesn't love Filipino fruit salad -- that sweet, creamy concoction made from canned fruit cocktail, condensed milk and heavy cream that accompanies most Filipino holiday feasts? Fil-Am writer Jen Palmares Meadows offers a tribute to her dad who learned to make this fave dessert not in the Philippines but in the US, and makes the dish a metaphor for all the things immigrants go through in their quest not just to belong but also for their American children to have a taste of their heritage. "My Father's Fruit Salad" is a savory read in time for the biggest holiday celebration of the year.

We know of many art and artists but few know about the tedious, exacting demands of art restoration, mainly because there are relatively few of them around. Which makes PF Correspondent Serina Aidasani's feature on June Poticar-Dalisay a valuable contribution to our art knowledge. "June Dalisay: Art Healer" gives us a peek into a craft that is unique, important and necessary. 

Here are some heartwarming Christmas stories to Read Again:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/lulus-fifty-peso-christmas-gift

http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/theyre-all-we- shall-ever-want-for-christmas

And if you're still looking for books to give and some interesting stories to read, check out our In The Know list this week:

Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo's 27 Books to Give as Christmas Gifts
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/72308/filipino-books-christmas-gifts-a1877-20171212-lfrm8

The Party's Over
https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/191559-party-over-keeping-democracy-alive-philippines-yearend-2017?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thought-leaders

Faking your own death: How the Philippines became the global leader for a macabre trade
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/faking-own-death-philippines-became-172955277.html

The Sun Writers Club: Meet the maids reporting Hong Kong’s hidden stories
https://coconuts.co/custom-feature/sun-writers-club/

Egg-Yolk Hair and a Glitter Cake: Chef Angela Dimayuga gets ready to party
https://www.thecut.com/2017/12/profile-chef-angela-dimayuga.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=s3&utm_campaign=sharebutton-b

For another sumptuous Christmas meal that you can make yourself, PF culinary correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her recipes for Pancit Sotanghon with shrimps, ham and vegetables; Carne Asado Kapampangan and Bibingka. 

For Video of the Week, David DiMuzio, an American singer who won online fans through his Tagalog language cover songs, offers advice to Filipinos who struggle with money.

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino