The way we, as members of the Filipino diaspora, engage with our Filipino Christmas traditions is key to understanding our history of surviving colonial and imperial oppression as well as the current structural issues we continue to face. These customs can act as vehicles for meaningful conversations and tools for our cultural autonomy and self-determination.

Celine Song’s 2023 semi-autobiographical film, Past Lives, explores the depth and nuance of human connection and identity within the context of Korean cultural belief in the idea of in-yun. The film’s protagonist explains, “There’s a word in Korean… in-yun. It means providence or fate. But it’s specifically about…