Yuletide to Love

Written by Leah Maje Romero | Regina, University of the Assumption

Within the heart of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, love is everywhere as mesmerizing heart-shaped lights embellish Jose Abad Santos Road. As the world celebrates the month of love and enthusiastically expects Valentine’s Day, these charming lanterns serve as a visual soul of sentiment—illuminating the bustling avenue, these brilliant lights cast a warm and welcoming shine to people walking by.

Traditionally related to Christmas, these lights amid Valentine’s Day make a fresh shift in everyone’s point of view. It underscores the flexibility of the city pertaining that not only Christmas has these lanterns as decorations but also Valentine’s Day, reminding us that they hold the control to imbue bliss and celebration into any event, regardless of the season. These heart-shaped lights serve as an image of solidarity and warmth, exemplifying the song of love that rises above boundaries and penetrates each perspective of life.

As soon as the night strikes, the heart-shaped lanterns flash against the dark sky, making a sentimental vibe, welcoming couples to walk hand in hand and delight in the magic of the moment, as well as the passersby to pause and admire every shine. In addition, for those exploring the city for the first time, these brilliant signals serve as an inviting scenery, calling them to share the city’s charm and hospitality.

As locals and tourists venture the Jose Abad Santos Road, they are welcomed not as it were by the location of these brilliant heart-shaped lanterns but by the intangible sense of warmth and joy that they inspire. Undoubtedly, within the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, love isn’t only limited to the pages of a calendar or the limits of a holiday—it is an ageless and ever-present drive that saturates the exceptional flows of life, lighting up each other’s ways and bringing people closer in the shared moments of delight and the peaks of every celebration.