Icons of the Christmas Season
The entrance of BER months serves as an early sign of the Christmas season. Consequently, people become aware that the festive season is fast approaching. However, aside from the BER months, people tend to develop other indicators as well for this holiday. On top of these are some celebrities who became Christmas icons that illustrate the beginning of this holy season.
Many people associate celebrities with the Christmas season because of their contribution to this holiday. Some of them are singers who contribute great Christmas songs. Meanwhile, others are strongly linked to this holiday because of their films, media materials, etc.
Here are some celebrities that became Christmas Icons through the years:
Jose Mari Chan
Jose Mari Chan is a Filipino singer-songwriter, musician, TV personality, and businessman. He created the timeless Christmas song entitled Christmas In Our Hearts. Consequently, he earned the title Father of Philippine Christmas Music because of his enduring songs. As a matter of fact, the album obtained more than 800,000 copies.
Currently, most Filipino consider him the legendary icon of Christmas in the Philippines. When Filipinos hear his songs, they automatically know that it’s the season of Christmas. In addition, several public places including malls and markets usually play his songs during this season. Moreover, he also became the face of many brands that represent the elements of Christmas. For instance, Shoppe, an e-commerce platform, uses Chan’s image to portray Christmas shopping and gift giving.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Due to her contribution to the music industry, she earned the title of Songbird Supreme. Additionally, she created a legacy in the whole world for her song All I Want for Christmas Is You. As a result, people refer to her as the Queen of Christmas because of her timeless Christmas song and album.
Mariah Carey’s 1994 album Merry Christmas and the song All I Want for Christmas Is You have permeated massively in popular culture. The record received the title of the best-selling holiday album of all time. Moreover, The New Yorker states that the song and album are one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.
You can definitely hear Carey’s songs all around the world. In fact, her song has become a Christmas staple and is becoming more and more well-known every holiday season.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Just like Mariah Carey, many people associate Ariana Grande with the Christmas season because of her music. Throughout her career, Ariana keeps on producing Christmas-related songs.
On December 17, 2013, Ariana issued her first holiday EP, named Christmas Kisses. The extended play featured four songs. This includes Last Christmas, Love is Everything, Snow in California, and Santa Baby.
Thereafter, Ariana released Christmas & Chill, a holiday-themed EP, in 2015. This includes original Christmas songs like Wit It This Christmas, Not Just On Christmas, December, etc. Consequently, this album gained over 50 million Spotify streams to date.
With her all Christmas songs, Ariana Grande has been knotted with the celebration of this festive season.
Vice Ganda
Vice Ganda, also known as Jose Marie Borja Viceral, earned the title of Unkabogable and Phenomenal Box Office Superstar. Currently, Vice Ganda works as a long-time host of the noontime show It’s Showtime. Additionally, eight of the movies she stars in are thought to be the highest-grossing in Philippine cinema. Moreover, CNN Philippines acknowledges Vice Ganda’s constant box office successes as one of the events that defined Filipino popular culture.
Vice Ganda functions as one of the images of Christmas Day in the Philippines. Before the pandemic strikes, Vice Ganda typically releases films on exactly December 25. Therefore, watching her films on Christmas day became a tradition for many Filipinos. Additionally, it became one of the ways for Filipinos to celebrate Christmas with their family and loved ones.
A few of her films released on Christmas Day are Sisterakas, The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, The Super Parental Guardians, and Gandarrapiddo! The Revengers Squad.
Vic Sotto
Marvic Valentin Castelo Sotto, also known as Vic Sotto, is a well-known Filipino actor, singer, and comedian. He also owns a company, M-Zet Productions, which produces movies and television shows. Throughout his film acting career, Sotto garnered three nominations for Best Actor at the Metro Manila Film Festival. In addition, he also won four consecutive titles for Philippine Box Office King from 2004 to 2006.
Just like Vice Ganda, Sotto also became an image of Christmas in the Philippines due to his films and shows. Usually, Vice Ganda and Vic Sotto compete in the Metro Manila Film Festivals. In MMFF, Vic Sotto typically offers fantasy, comedy, and family-related films. Consequently, this attracts Filipinos to enjoy the film while celebrating the holiday with their loved ones.
Some of his films aired on the big screen on Christmas day include Enteng Kabisote Movie Series, Torky and My Little Bossing, My Big Bossing, and a lot more.
These are just some of the celebrities who became an icon of Christmas throughout the years. They become strongly associated with this festive season because of their invaluable contribution. Additionally, these contributions like music, films, and messages are all now written in history. Moreover, through their image and contribution, the true significance of this holiday season continuously prospers.
However, among all these celebrity icons, we must not forget the true image and essence of the Christmas season. It’s the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, our savior. Thus, now is the time for us to understand and consider the lessons taught by Jesus. And above all, the real icon of this season is the image of love, compassion, and forgiveness.
