The first in a series of dawn Masses leading up to Christmas

(16 Dec 2014) Churchgoers in the predominantly Catholic Philippines attended the first in a series of nine dawn masses on Tuesday. The dawn mass, known locally as Simbang Gabi, is a centuries-old tradition which teaches the meaning of Christmas. In Saint Joseph Parish Church just outside Manila, hundreds of churchgoers gathered as Priest Mario Josefino Martinez celebrated an outdoor mass under Christmas lights and star lanterns. "It's a dawn mass, as the preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so that makes it doubly exciting," said Martinez "This year the difference though, is that comparing to the previous years, we are looking forwards to the January visit of the Pope." Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Philippines next month. He will celebrate mass in Tacloban and comfort survivors of typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing last year. People also enjoyed another Philippine dawn mass tradition on Tuesday - Bibingka cake, freshly charcoal-baked from rice and coconut milk, packed to go home. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...