Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Calamba
Calamba is the hometown of Jose Rizal, so its Christmas season ends with wreaths and a flag-raising on December 30. Before that come plaza lanterns, a 70-foot tree and a city gift program that reached 54 barangays.
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The story of Christmas in Calamba
A 70-foot tree in front of City Hall
Calamba's Christmas lights gather at Jose Rizal Plaza, the open space across from City Hall and the Rizal monument. In November 2023 GMA Regional TV reported giant lanterns, a tunnel of lights and a 70-foot tree built from reusable materials. City Hall was wrapped in colorful LEDs, and a carnival with rides for children and adults ran beside tiangge and food stalls. The display stayed lit nightly until January 2024. The city also runs the Pamaskong Handog, a gift package program that in December 2023 ran from the 8th to the 17th.
Parol ng Pasko on the water at Nuvali
For the 2025 season, the clearest family light show is Nuvali's Fountain of Lights, previewed by Malaya in September 2025. It played about every 30 minutes on Fridays to Sundays, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Lakeside Grounds, and admission was free. Designer Ga Fallarme's projections opened with Parol ng Pasko, Filipino Christmas lantern designs, then moved to glowing sea creatures and star patterns.
Torches for Rizal and gifts for 180,000 households
Calamba's year has two Rizal dates. On June 19 the city marks his birthday, and the 154th anniversary began with Palarong Pilipino and 154 torches at midnight. On December 30 sirens and church bells start the Rizal Day rites at 7 a.m. The Pamaskong Handog of 2023 reached more than 180,000 households in all 54 barangays. The Jose Rizal Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena by City Hall, opened in July 2023.
Traditions today
- Jose Rizal Plaza lights: The plaza across from City Hall carried lanterns, a light tunnel and a 70-foot tree in 2023, with a carnival and food stalls.
- Pamaskong Handog gift packages: The city government gives households food for daily needs and Noche Buena, and cash vouchers for some residents in need. The 2023 round covered all 54 barangays.
- Nuvali Fountain of Lights: A water, light and music show at the Lakeside Grounds on weekend evenings. The 2025 version was free and opened with Parol ng Pasko.
- Saturday holiday workshops at Nuvali: In 2024 Nuvali held holiday workshops every Saturday at the Lakeside, along with a toy drive that used a Giant Toy Box.
- Rizal Day wreath laying: On December 30 officials and residents lay wreaths at the Rizal monument and the flag is raised at the Rizal Shrine.
- Rizal birthday torches: Each June the city lights torches at midnight, one for every year since Rizal's birth, after a day of Palarong Pilipino.
A fact for kids
At the midnight torch lighting for Jose Rizal's 154th birthday in Calamba, guests lit 154 torches, one for every year.
Questions about Christmas in Calamba
What did Jose Rizal Plaza in Calamba look like at Christmas in 2023?
In November 2023 the plaza in front of City Hall carried giant lanterns, a tunnel of lights and a 70-foot Christmas tree made from reusable materials. City Hall itself was lit with colorful LEDs. The display ran nightly until January 2024, with a carnival, souvenir stalls and food stalls on the grounds.
Besides the lights at Jose Rizal Plaza, what can kids do at Christmas in Calamba?
The 2023 plaza display had a carnival with rides for children and adults, plus tiangge stalls and food stands. Nuvali, the Ayala Land estate, ran a Fountain of Lights water show in 2024 and 2025, with free admission in 2025. For current dates, see Rally Takes the Train's Calamba Christmas events guide.
Where can we spend Christmas Day with kids in Calamba?
No city program is described for December 25 itself. The plaza lights in 2023 ran nightly until January, so the plaza is an evening option. Nuvali's water show ran Fridays to Sundays, 6 to 9 p.m., in 2025, so it depends on the weekday. Check the city and Nuvali announcements first.
Where is the best place to see Christmas lights in Calamba City?
Jose Rizal Plaza in front of City Hall is the clearest answer from recent reports. In 2023 it held lanterns, a light tunnel and a 70-foot tree, and the city hall facade was lit in LEDs. Nuvali's Lakeside is the other well-known light show, with projections and music on water.
How big was the Christmas tree at Calamba's plaza in 2023?
The tree at Jose Rizal Plaza stood 70 feet tall and was made from reusable materials. It was the centerpiece of the 2023 display, which also had giant lanterns and a tunnel of lights. GMA Regional TV reported on it on November 10, 2023, and said the display would run nightly until January 2024.
What is the Pamaskong Handog in Calamba?
Pamaskong Handog is the Christmas gift package program of the Calamba city government. In 2023, Mayor Ross Rizal led the distribution from December 8 to 17. Households in all 54 barangays received packages, more than 180,000 in total, with food for daily needs and Noche Buena, and cash vouchers for some residents in need.
Who got extra help in the 2023 Pamaskong Handog?
Persons with disabilities and senior citizens received extra attention in the 2023 distribution. Packages also reached remote barrios and the Nuvali subdivisions. The city counted households in all 54 barangays, and the food in each package was meant to cover everyday needs and the Christmas Eve Noche Buena meal.
Why does Christmas in Calamba end with Rizal Day?
Calamba is the hometown of Jose Rizal, and December 30 is the anniversary of his death in 1896. In 2017, the 121st anniversary, sirens and church bells sounded at 7 a.m., wreaths were laid at the Rizal monument, and a flag-raising took place at the Rizal Shrine at 8 a.m. It closes the holiday week.
What happens in Calamba on December 30?
The city holds Rizal Day rites. In 2017, officials, the Knights of Rizal and residents laid wreaths at the monument at Jose P. Rizal Plaza, and honor guards raised the flag at the Rizal Shrine. Floral offerings were also placed at the Sampalukan and at schools such as Calamba Elementary School.
Can young kids join Rizal Day events in Calamba?
The 2017 rites were a formal ceremony with wreaths, speeches and a flag-raising, with school sites such as Calamba Elementary School and Jose Rizal Memorial School among the wreath stops. Nothing says children had a separate program. The ceremony is short and quiet, so it suits school-age kids better than toddlers.
How do you explain Rizal's birthday celebration to kids in Calamba?
Rizal's birth anniversary on June 19 is marked in Calamba with a two-day celebration starting June 18. It begins with Palarong Pilipino, traditional Filipino games, and at midnight guests light torches, 154 of them for the 154th anniversary. For kids, it is the city's birthday party for its hero.
What is the Nuvali Fountain of Lights?
It is a free water, light and music show at Nuvali's Lakeside Grounds. The 2025 version used projections by designer Ga Fallarme and played about every 30 minutes on Fridays to Sundays, 6 to 9 p.m. It has three parts: Parol ng Pasko, a bioluminescence segment and a constellation segment.
What did the 2024 Fountain of Lights at Nuvali include?
It opened on November 14, 2024 and ran Fridays to Sundays, 6 to 9 p.m., until January 5, 2025. The shows were Dragons of Prosperity and Journey to Toy Island. Kids could play with life-size toys and dragon installations, join Saturday holiday workshops, and drop toys in a Giant Toy Box.
Is there a toy drive at Nuvali at Christmas?
In 2024 Nuvali ran a toy donation drive during the Fountain of Lights season. Donated toys went into a Giant Toy Box at the show's viewing deck, and the drive was tied to Sta. Rosa, Laguna. No 2026 toy drive has been announced, so check Nuvali's page before bringing toys.
What is Parol ng Pasko at Nuvali?
Parol ng Pasko is the first segment of the 2025 Fountain of Lights. It shows Filipino Christmas lantern designs, the parol, as projections on the water. The other two segments cover glowing underwater creatures and star patterns with mythical creatures. A custom music arrangement plays throughout the half-hour cycle.
Is the Nuvali Fountain of Lights free?
Admission to the 2025 water show was free. The reports for 2024 did not state a price. No 2026 price or date has been announced as of November 5, 2026, so confirm with Nuvali before you go. The lakeside also offers boat rides and fish feeding.
What is the Jose Rizal Coliseum in Calamba?
It is an 8,000-seat arena in front of Calamba's new city hall, opened with a ribbon cutting in July 2023. Mayor Rosseller Rizal gave his first State of the City Address there. It sits next to the plaza where the Christmas lights went up that November.
When does Calamba's Christmas display usually start?
The 2023 plaza display was reported on November 10, 2023 and ran nightly until January 2024. Nuvali's water show opened on November 14 in 2024. Those two dates suggest early to mid November, but no 2026 start date has been announced for either one as of early November 2026.
Are there rides at Calamba's Christmas plaza?
In 2023 the plaza had a festive carnival with chill and thrill rides for children and adults. The rides, ages and prices were not listed. Souvenir and tiangge stalls were inside, and food stalls were scattered around the plaza. Ask the city for current details before planning your visit.
Is a 2026 Calamba Christmas event date confirmed yet?
As of November 5, 2026 no host or official calendar has confirmed a 2026 date for a Calamba Christmas event, so none is listed. Past patterns are early to mid November starts. Rally Takes the Train will add events to its Calamba Christmas guide as dates are confirmed.
Sources
- Plaza in Calamba City, Laguna adorned with Christmas installations, features festive carnival, GMA Regional TV
- Pamaskong Handog: Mayor Ross Rizal leads Calamba City government's Christmas Gift Package distribution to residents, Journal Online
- Calamba City pays tribute on Rizal's 121st martyrdom rites, PTV News
- 'Fountain of Lights' brings an enchanting Christmas, Manila Bulletin
- Holidays come alive at Nuvali, Malaya Business Insight
- Nuvali's Fountain of Lights brings Christmas magic to life, theAsianparent Philippines
- Rizal Day fete set in Calamba City, Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Rizal Coliseum, Journal Online