Though we are approaching the middle of November, it’s never too early to start ringing in the holiday spirit! Recently, Disney released their 2020 Christmas advertisement titled “From Our Family To Yours,” which portrays the sweet relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter, and the holiday traditions they share over the years. This advertisement is part of Disney’s retail campaign of the same name, and marks the 40-year partnership with the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
I came across this advertisement through a friend—I had been seeing in on a few Instagram stories, but I never clicked on it for whatever reason. I decided to watch it, and I don’t know how to better explain the emotional state I was in other than I was crying waterfalls by the end of the animated short. I knew that Disney was doing a tremendous job in bringing the representation of Filipino culture to their animation, but after doing a bit of research, there are many elements to the short that make it incredibly heartwarming for Filipino viewers.
The short opens on a star-filled sky—and a star-filled town center. Hanging from the town’s buildings are what are called parols, Filipino ornamental lanterns that are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper. An iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas, the parol evokes not only the Star of Bethlehem, but also the shared expression of hope and light. Parols were initially used to light the way to church for attending Simbang Gabi, a nine-day series of Masses practiced by Filipino Catholics and Aglipayans in anticipation of Christmas. After attending Mass, people would hang parols outside of their houses instead of putting them away.
There are also multiple easter eggs throughout the short that likely brought smiles to Filipino viewers. At the beginning of the short, you can hear a man shouting “Baluuuuuuut!”, which pays homage to vendors on the streets of the Philippines as they pedal around trying to sell balut, one of the Philippines’ most infamous and iconic delicacies. Additionally, before the little girl is spun around by her father she greets him, saying “Tatay,” which is Tagalog for “father.”
The little girl then puts her father’s hand to her forehead, which is known as mano or pagmamano. Pagmamano is an honored gesture used by Filipinos and done as a sign of respect for the elders while also asking them for their blessing. Similar to hand-kissing, pagmamano is done when a person takes the elder’s hand and presses it to their forehead; they may ask “Mano po” or “Can I have your blessing?” The word mano is Spanish for “hand,” and “po” is a word used in Filipino culture as a sign of respect when addressing someone older.
The little girl’s father gives her a Mickey Mouse plush as a present, which she takes with her as years pass by. Fast-forward to the year 2005, the little girl, who we know as Lola (Tagalog for “grandmother”), has grown up, and now shares the tradition of crafting parols with her granddaughter. One year when they are making parols, one of Mickey Mouse’s ears accidentally rips, which leaves them both in saddened spirits. As the granddaughter grows older, the traditions she once shared with her Lola didn’t seem to interest her like they once did.
One night the granddaughter arrives home to a Mickey Mouse with one ear completely torn off. As she admires all of the pictures of her Lola on the mantle, we see a glimpse of a black-and-white photo of Lola as a nurse. This may pay tribute to overseas Filipino workers, in which their history dates back as early as the 1900s. During the malaria and cholera outbreak, there weren’t a lot of American nurses in the Philippines, so local women were recruited to become Volunteer Auxiliary Contract Nurses. The Pensionado Act of 1903 allowed Filipino students to migrate to the United States to study, including the volunteer auxiliary contract nurses. This was the first batch of Filipino nurses to come to the United States. Filipino nurses also played a huge role in tending to wounded soldiers in the Second World War. Due to other countries seeing a shortage of nurses and the cost-effectiveness of hiring Filipino nurses rather than training their own locally, many countries started hiring nurses from the Philippines. Top destinations for Filipino nurses include Saudia Arabia, Germany, Japan, and the U.K.
The granddaughter sees the many pictures of her Lola and her family through the years, and decides to do something about the damaged Mickey Mouse. The next morning, Lola comes downstairs to a living room filled with parols, reminding her of the parol-filled streets in her Philippine village. The granddaughter then gives her a present—Mickey Mouse with his ear stitched back on. She and her Lola share a tearful embrace, bringing tears to many viewers’ eyes, including mine.
This advertisement is incredibly important to me for a multitude of reasons. Christmas in the Philippines is well-known for starting as early as September, and not only is it a time to spread holiday cheer, but also it is a time to celebrate one of the most joyous holidays with family and loved ones. As a Filipino immigrant myself living in the United States, I don’t get the opportunity to celebrate and share the unique traditions of Filipino Christmas as much as the rest of my family members who are in the Philippines. Family is one of the main principles that many Filipinos hold, and seeing this advertisement reminds me of my loving relationship with my grandmother, who I don’t get to see as often as I would like because of the ocean that separates us.
Disney’s ad also made me feel seen. Though the entertainment industry has gotten better over the years in terms of Asian representation, the majority of the media we are exposed to only shows a sliver of the Asian diaspora: people from East Asia. Seeing a story of Filipino immigrants celebrating Christmas and embracing Filipino traditions and customs was absolutely heartwarming to me. I don’t see myself represented a lot in the media, so seeing someone that looked like me on the screen was an indescribable feeling. This advertisement is a step in the right direction for Asian representation in entertainment, and I hope many people in the industry see this advertisement as a wake-up call to create works that include representation from all groups of the Asian diaspora and not just one.
This advertisement is something that speaks to many people, particularly during this holiday season. With the pandemic still going on, many are not able to go home for the holidays and spend time with their families. No matter how near or far you are to your loved ones, it’s important to cherish the love you have for them, and I think this advertisement is a reminder of that. So thank you Disney for providing both an enchanting Christmas story, and for making me represented.