A shopping mall in the Philippines has stunned visitors by putting up Christmas decorations – even though it is still summer.
Footage uploaded by content creator Itoys World or Marjorie Oropel on TikTok and Facebook shows pine trees adorned with red ornaments, a giant Santa Claus statue, and a small elf standing at the entrance in SM Mall of Asia on August 24.
A massive bow wrapped around the walls, framed with artificial greenery like a giant gift, while shoppers passed by.
The setup even included a mock North Pole post office, bringing touches of winter months ahead of the holiday season.
The content creator also used “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey as background audio.
“It is not even September yet, the Christmas spirit is already here,” Marjorie, mall-goer and content creator behind Itoys world, said.
“BER na agad??? Yung budget ko hindi pa ready,” Itoys World captioned their post.
“Teka lang naman MOA….. Hindi pa kami tapos sa Buwan ng Wika,” it also wrote on the video.
The Facebook version garnered nearly 300 views while the TikTok version amassed 341,100 views.
TikTok users reacted in jest about the early Christmas display.
“Bermonths na pala. ‘Yung new years resolution ko di ko pa nasisimulan,” one commented.
“Yey!! Mas gusto ko makita Christmas decor kesa yung Halloween decors,” another wrote.
“August ang bagong ber month,” a TikTok user said, with another dubbing it “Augber.”
In the Philippines, the holiday season is known to begin early, often as soon as the so-called ‘Ber months’ start in September.
Malls, shops, and households begin putting up decorations and playing festive music months ahead of December, making it one of the longest Christmas celebrations in the world.
The tradition is rooted in the country’s Catholic heritage, brought by the buccaneering Spanish in the 16th century.
